Pokémon Platinum: The Prodigal Rocket
by JeremyX
Summary: Revamp of "The Agent and the Fugitive." Jeremy and Aelita take a trip to Sinnoh and decide to become Pokémon Trainers. Meanwhile, James receives some disturbing news from Team Rocket HQ and must make a difficult choice. When both sides cross with our hero Ash, the result will shake the Pokémon world forever! New friends, new adventures, and a new world to explore! Please R&R!
1. Welcome To the World of Pokémon

**A/N: After much deliberation, I decided that it would be best to completely revamp my Pokémon story, since I now realize there were too many plot holes to count, and I have an even greater idea of how the story should go that will make it longer yet easier to write, and more convenient my new college schedule.**

**Pokémon (C) 1995-2014 Pokémon, Nintendo, GAME FREAK, Creatures**

**Code Lyoko (C) 2002-2014 MoonScoop, France3**

**I make no money from this because I own nothing. Please support the official release.**

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Pokémon: The Prodigal Rocket

Chapter 1: The World of Pokémon

A bunch of spotlights switched on to reveal an elderly man, about the age of sixty, standing in a laboratory. He had a typical wardrobe for a middle-aged professor: a long brown coat, a blue button-down vest and a red tie, and a very professional and expensive looking briefcase. He had white hair with long and bushy sideburns, a bushy white mustache, and stony gray eyes. His face seemed to convey a feeling of wisdom and understanding, and was both firm and kind.

"Hello there, and welcome to the world of Pokémon," he said. "My name is Professor Rowan. I'm often known as the Pokémon Professor of the Sinnoh region. The subject of my research is the mysterious creatures that inhabit our world which are known the world over as Pokémon."

The man then took out a spherical object, roughly the size of a baseball, with a red top half and a white bottom half divided by a black line and a button on the front. He tossed it up into the air, and it opened up. A white light burst from the ball, which transformed into a black and blue jackal-like creature with short ears, two black appendages on either side of its head, a yellow collar-like formation around its neck, and large red eyes. He gave the creature a pat on the head, and it barked happily.

"These creatures have inhabited our world and lived with us humans for as long as we can remember," he said, "but there are many things that we simply don't know about them. That's why professors like myself have dedicated our lives to studying various aspects of these Pokémon. Myself, I study the aspects of Pokémon Evolution, and discerning the mysteries of how and why Pokémon evolve to become stronger and greater than they once were. To assist me in my research, I offer newly licensed Pokémon Trainers in Sinnoh a choice of their first Pokémon to accompany them on their grand journey across the Sinnoh region."

He motioned to the desk behind him, and three Pokémon were visible. One was a green turtle with a shell that seemed to be made of earth and two leaves sticking out of a spike on its head. The second was a red monkey with a short tail which looked like it was on fire and a cheery look on its face. The third was a blue penguin with a short yellow beak, blue flippers, and yellow feet. It also seemed to look very proud of itself.

"Trainers may choose between the Grass-Type Turtwig, the Fire-Type Chimchar, or the Water-Type Piplup," Professor Rowan stated. "The duty of every Pokémon Trainer is to meet, catch, and train all kinds of varieties of Pokémon. You will also meet many different people on your journey. Talk with everyone you can about how to train your Pokémon, and you will learn more about them and more about yourself along the way."

He then turned to the camera and smiled. "To all new Trainers: take courage and leap into the world of Pokémon, where dreams, adventure, and friendship await!"

(-o-)

I had just finished watching Professor Rowan's video on my laptop when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching him. Turning my head around, I saw a girl about a year younger than me with bright pink hair walk down the row of seats to him. Smiling, I inserted my computer into my backpack. The girl was not used to air travel, and left to use the restroom, so I had occupied his time by watching videos on his laptop computer. The girl's name was Aelita Schaeffer, and my name is Jeremy Belpois.

We are French boarding school students who are going on a vacation to the Sinnoh region for the summer while our college applications were waiting to be accepted. Anyone would think that we would be far too young to go to college, since Aelita was just a week away from turning fifteen and I had been fifteen for a few months. However, our friends and family knew that they were exceptionally brilliant for our age. In fact, we planned to wait a whole year to go to college and none of our parents or friends objected. They knew that we would be just fine not because we're geniuses, but because we're very hard-working and deserved some time off, hence the reason for the vacation. We had only heard about Pokémon from our Japanese friend, Yumi Ishiyama, so we decided to check this new world out and broaden our horizons, especially Aelita, who had seen very little of the outside world.

"Did I miss anything, Jeremy?" Aelita asked.

"I just finished watching Professor Rowan's instructional video for new Pokémon Trainers," I answered, taking my computer out and handing it to Aelita. "Did you want to watch it too, Aelita? We have plenty of time before the plane lands."

"Thanks," Aelita nodded, taking my computer and looking at pictures. "Where did the pilot say we would be landing again?"

I looked at my pocket digital map of the Sinnoh region. "He said we'd be landing in a place called Hearthome City," I replied. "From there we can take an hour-long bus ride to the resort at Lake Valor."

"Is just going to that resort really all you want to do here?" Aelita asked. "Think about where we're going, Jeremy! Why not do something extraordinary and get our very own Pokémon Trainer licenses?"

"But neither of us know how to be Pokémon Trainers," I stated. "Besides, most Pokémon Trainers get their license at age 10. We're 15. Even Odd would see that there's a huge gap there."

"So what?" Aelita asked. "Where's your spirit of adventure that you had when we fought X.A.N.A. and saved the world?"

"That was something that had to be done," I huffed. "And that's completely different from this. No one's too old to save the world, but we're talking about capturing wild creatures and raising them to do battle against each other. I may be able to learn how to do it easily, but I don't think I have the physical skills to actually do it."

"Will you stop belittling yourself?" Aelita sighed, annoyed with my pessimistic comment. "You say that you're not great all the time, yet you do amazing things that put even Ulrich and William to shame. And I'm not talking about working a powerful supercomputer to fight against a demonic artificial intelligence. Did anyone else scale a school roof just to get a CD? Did anyone else fight off a pack of wild boars to save a gym teacher?"

I turned to answer, but then I saw her with her hands on her hips and looking annoyed. I knew from experience with her that this was my cue not to say anything at all. I also noticed some of the other passengers were starting to look at the two of us very strangely, and I felt very embarrassed.

"You're not as strong as Ulrich or William, that's true, but you're certainly no wimp," she said, calmer now, and sat down in the seat next to me. "The way I see it, you're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

I just looked at her for a moment, and then sighed. "Thanks for the words of praise, but I hardly deserve them. I just want to be a normal kid, like everyone else. I'll relax for a few weeks, go to school, graduate with a degree, get a job, get married, and have a family."

Aelita groaned, frowning. "Just because you want to be 'normal' and you have everything planned out doesn't mean it will all go down the way you planned. X.A.N.A. should have taught you that lesson by now. Besides, don't you want anything more out of life? You're not a robot or a computer program, you're human."

"That's funny," I chuckled, "considering you thought that you were once a program yourself."

"Hey!" Aelita protested. "You thought I was one until I remembered who I was!"

Both of us continued to laugh for a while, until a siren was heard from the intercom above our heads.

"Attention, passengers," the pilot's voice rang out. "We will be landing at the Hearthome City Airport in just a few moments. Now would be a good time to begin gathering your personal belongings."

"Well, time to get ready for that plan that's not going to happen," I said sarcastically, grabbing my backpack.

Aelita groaned, knowing well that I was a very stubborn person once I made up my mind. She grabbed her own handbag from the shelf above her and waited for the plane to land.

(-o-)

Within half an hour, the plane landed at the airport, and most of the passengers all left the plane. We were the last to leave, and they left the airport for the bus stop. I could not help but admire the new scenery. The buildings in the city weren't very tall but were still nice to look at, and the greenery outside the city looked nice as well. I could also see a tall twin-peaked mountain on the horizon to the west. According to my map, this was Mt. Coronet, the tallest mountain in all of Sinnoh. I breathed in a breath of fresh Sinnoh air before Aelita and I arrived at the bus stop.

All of a sudden, a huge explosion came from the forest to the east, and a shrill sound, like someone screaming in pain was heard. We turned to see what was happening, and saw a huge cloud of smoke rise up from the forest, presumably a result of the explosion. Just then, from out of the trees, two figures emerged. One was a small black and blue canine, and the other was a small black crow with a plumage on its head that resembled a witch's hat. The bird flapped its wings and charged at the dog-like creature, and it nimbly dodged to the side, but we could tell that it was very weak from having to dodge the crow's attacks and could not keep it up for much longer.

To add further confusion to the situation, a person stepped out from the foliage. It was a tall man with a brushed-back mop of light brown hair, and piercing dark green eyes. He wore a black outfit with a bright red capital R on the shirt, and wore white gloves which came up to his elbows. He also wore long gray lace-less leather boots that came up to his knees, and a belt which contained three objects similar to the utensils that Professor Rowan used in his video.

The dog-like creature looked at us, and gasped. I had no idea what that meant, but then it rushed over to us and hid behind my leg. I saw that it looked absolutely terrified of whatever was attacking it. After taking another look at it, I gasped.

"It's the same creature that Professor Rowan showcased in the video I saw!" I said to Aelita, and showed her a picture from the video.

"It is!" she gasped. "Then that's a Pokémon!"

"Why yes, it is a Pokémon," the man said, whom we now turned to face, "and it belongs to me. Now get out of my way."

"If it belongs to you, why are you attacking it?" Aelita asked.

"The poor sap thinks that it doesn't have to go with me," he replied. "It doesn't realize that it has no choice."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, unsure of what he meant.

"He technically doesn't belong to me, but he will be soon enough," the man said. "Now I'll say it again, get out of my way or you'll regret it."

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Well, I suppose introductions are in order," he shrugged. "My name is Frank James, and I am a member of Team Rocket."

"Team Rocket?" I repeated, puzzled. "What's that?"

"You must not be from around here, are you?" Frank James chuckled. "Well, since you can't possibly stand up to me, I'll tell you. Team Rocket captures Pokémon from all around the world. They're important tools for keeping our criminal enterprise going."

"Criminal enterprise?!" we gasped.

"And that Riolu is just what we need," Frank said. "You see, it can use aura just like its evolved form, Lucario, which it normally cannot do. It also has a great many other skills most Pokémon don't normally have. If we had a Pokémon like that on our team, our goal could finally come to fruition!"

"And what goal is that?" Aelita asked, angry.

"What else?" he asked. "We'll make the largest army of rare and powerful Pokémon and use it to take over the world!"

"Heh," Aelita chuckled. "It's always the same thing with you bad guys. All you talk or think about is world domination. Well, I got four choice words for you: _we won't let you_."

"The reason I'm telling you all this is that there's nothing you can do to stop me, you fools," Frank said. "You don't even have any Pokémon you can use to battle, and my Murkrow can and will knock you down faster than you can blink!"

Just then, a motorcycle zoomed up to us, and a woman with spiked sea-green hair and amber eyes in a blue police officer's uniform jumped out and glared at the man. I also noticed an orange dog-like creature that had stripes like a tiger jump out and stand next to the officer.

"I found you at last, Frank James!" she said. "Your days with Team Rocket are up! You're under arrest for Pokémon poaching!"

"That's what you'd like to think, Officer Jenny," Frank chuckled. "Go, Murkrow! Sky Attack!"

"Growlithe, intercept with Flamethrower!" the officer called out.

The Murkrow began glowing and charged at the officer, but the Growlithe shot a large stream of flame from its mouth and blocked the oncoming attack, causing a huge blast. Murkrow reared back for another attack, but Growlithe kept it at bay. Even though I was just watching, I felt a surge of excitement from seeing these two Pokémon battle. I was seeing two fighters of great power collide in a match that would surely shake my soul. I wanted to watch it, to experience this power.

More than that, I wanted to be part of it.

I mulled over Aelita's question about what I want out of life while we were on our way to the bus station, and now, in the thick of this battle, I made a decision.

"Officer Jenny!" I called. "Do you have any Pokémon you could spare for us to battle him with?"

"Thanks for volunteering, but I can't risk it," Officer Jenny replied. "It's too dangerous for you kids to handle. You should take that Riolu and get out of here while I take care of him."

"I've made up my mind," I said, taking a step forward. "I don't want to run away anymore, nor do I want to just live a normal life. Quite frankly, I don't think there's such a thing as a normal life. Everyone's way of living life is different, and no two ways are the same. I want something great out of life. I want to live my life to the fullest, and if that entails me becoming a Pokémon Trainer and going on some kind of great adventure to master the ways of Pokémon, then so be it!"

Aelita gasped, but then smiled widely. "That's the Jeremy I know and love!"

I nodded, smiling as well. "Now, Officer Jenny, I know I don't have a license, but would you be able to lend me a Pokémon to use to fight this criminal?"

"If she can't, then I will help you," a voice said.

"Huh?" I turned around, confused. "Who said that?"

"I did," the voice came from behind me. I turned around and noticed that the Riolu was no longer cowering, but striking a fighting pose. "Well?"

I took a double take. Either my eyes were deceiving me, or that Riolu just spoke!

"You can talk?" I gasped, and Aelita and the officer were surprised as well.

"I can talk and I can fight," the Riolu stated. "I may not be in the best of shape, but I still have some power left in me. He attacked me without warning, and attempted to kidnap me! He will pay for this!"

I blinked, unsure of how to take this in, but I smiled. "Do you have anything that can heal his injuries here, Officer Jenny?"

"I have this," she said, reaching into her satchel and pulling out an orange bottle. "This is a Super Potion; it's like an antiseptic spray specifically for Pokémon. Spray it on infected spots and it will heal instantly."

"Got it," I said, taking the bottle. "Where does it hurt?" I asked the Riolu.

"Well, he kept striking my back," it said, "and his Murkrow's Wing Attack sprained my left arm near the elbow."

"Okay," I said, and began applying the spray. It winced from the medicine's sting, but it controlled its flinching. Within a few moments, the application was done. "Is that better?" I asked.

"Much," it nodded. "Thank you very much."

"You mind giving me a few pointers?" I asked. "I've never been in a Pokémon battle before."

"No problem," he nodded. "Call out an attack, and I will respond."

"What about me?" Aelita asked, and Officer Jenny pulled out another of those red-and-white balls from her jacket pocket.

"This is a Poké Ball," she said, "and it will call out another Growlithe for you, Aelita. Please use it well."

"I will," Aelita nodded, but then paused. "How do I use this, though?"

"Press the button to expand it to its normal size," the officer replied, "and then toss it into the air."

"All right," Aelita said, and did as she was told. "Growlithe, go!" she called, and the ball opened up, expelling a Growlithe identical to the one being used by Officer Jenny.

"It doesn't matter how many of you there are!" Frank James said, "because I can always make more of me!" He then took out the two Poké Balls he had on his belt and threw them into the battle. "Weavile, Shiftry, let's go!"

Instantly, a brown Pokémon with leaf fans for hands and a black Pokémon with a red headdress and sharp white claws appeared from the Poké Balls.

"Wow, you must not be as smart as other members of Team Rocket," Officer Jenny said. "Don't you know that Grass-Type and Ice-Type Pokémon are weak to Fire-Type Pokémon like Growlithe?"

"That's where you're wrong!" Frank James said. "Shiftry, use Rock Slide! Weavile, use Surf!"

Shiftry whipped up large rocks from the ground and flung them at the two Fire-Type Pokémon, and Weavile shot out a wave of water from its mouth and directed the wave at the Growlithe. Both attacks hit dead-on, and the Pokémon were flung backwards.

"Oh no!" Officer Jenny gasped. "Growlithe!"

"Water and rock moves are super effective when facing Fire-Type Pokémon," Frank James said. "My Pokémon and I come prepared for any situation and always manage to outwit any opponent."

"Outwit this!" the Riolu snapped, and sprung at the Weavile, firing a punch with blistering speed and power. The force sent Weavile flying, and the Riolu jumped back just as quick as it lunged out.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Bullet Punch," the Riolu replied. "Like the name implies, it's a punch that's fired as fast as a bullet. And that's only one of the many things that I can do. I know Aura Sphere, Poison Jab, and Drain Punch."

"Okay, I got it," I said. "Riolu, use Bullet Punch again, but on Shiftry!"

Riolu did so, and sent Shiftry flying, but not as far as Weavile. I turned to the Growlithe. "Are they ok?"

"They're badly hurt," Officer Jenny answered.

"Then use the Super Potion!" I said, and gave the item back to her.

"Thank you," she smiled, and healed the wounds of the two Growlithe. Both Pokémon were now back on their feet.

"What moves do they know besides Flamethrower?" I asked.

"They know Thunder Fang, Ice Fang, and Aerial Ace," Officer Jenny replied. "Fire-Type, Flying-Type, and Ice-Type moves are super effective against Grass-Type Pokémon like Shiftry, and Electric-Type along with Ice-Type moves will be super effective against Murkrow. Fire-Type, Steel-Type, and especially Fighting-Type moves will be effective against Weavile."

"Then use Aerial Ace on Shiftry!" Aelita commanded, and the Pokémon slashed its claws at the Shiftry with high power and speed, akin to Riolu's Bullet Punch.

"Use Thunder Fang on Murkrow!" Officer Jenny commanded, and its fangs crackled with electricity as if brought them down on Murkrow.

"And I think I know which one of Riolu's moves is a Fighting-Type move!" I said. "Use Drain Punch!"

The Riolu's arm glowed a bright green and it charged at Weavile, striking a strong blow to it, and causing it to fly back several feet. When it fell, it tried to get up, but fell to the ground. I also noticed that the Riolu looked noticeably healthier and more full of energy as it gave a big smile.

"Weavile can't battle anymore!" Officer Jenny said. "It's out of energy, and the energy it did have was taken into Riolu thanks to Drain Punch!"

"You were right!" Aelita said. "Fighting-Type moves were _really_ effective against it!"

"Then that's one less problem to worry about!" I said. "Riolu, use Poison Jab on Shiftry!"

Riolu's arm now glowed purple and it lunged at Shiftry. However, Frank had a plan to stop it.

"Use Whirlwind!" he cried, and Shiftry's fans blew Riolu back several feet, but did not damage it.

"Quick, use Flamethrower!" Aelita cried, and Growlithe blew a stream of fire at Shiftry, causing extreme damage.

"Now, try Poison Jab again!" I said, and this time the Riolu's attack was successful, scoring a direct hit on Shiftry. Though it did not get blown back, it did collapse to the ground, unable to continue.

"And for the last attack!" I said. "Use Aura Sphere and Drain Punch on Murkrow!"

First, Riolu generated a blue orb from its hands, presumably of aura energy, which was now charged up by its Drain Punch, and fired it at Murkrow, who fell downwards. Then, Riolu made another Drain Punch at Murkrow, causing it to fall down and stay down.

"Murkrow! Shiftry!" Frank cried.

"All right!" I exclaimed. "We did it!"

"Jeremy, that was awesome!" Aelita cheered.

"You sure have got quite the talent for battling, young man," Officer Jenny complimented. "And you're really not a Trainer?"

"No, I'm from France," I shook my head. "I've never even heard of Pokémon until a friend of mine told me about them." I then turned to Frank. "But enough about me, what about him?"

"I'll handle him," Officer Jenny said, but then Frank recalled his Pokémon and jumped back.

"I may have lost this battle," he said, "but the war is far from over. I know your names and faces, kids, and I won't forget them. I'll be back soon enough, but now it's time for this Rocket to blast off!"

He then took a smoke bomb from his pants pocket and threw it at the ground, causing a thick cloud of smoke to obscure him from our view. The next thing we saw was him flying onto the sky on a rocket pack that he now had strapped to his back. Before any of us could make a move, he flew off over the treetops to our left and disappeared.

"Sorry we let him get away, Officer," I said.

"Well, we managed to keep that Pokémon safe," she stated, "and that's what matters. For that, I thank you both."

Suddenly, I heard a groan of pain, and I looked back to the said Riolu slump to the ground, exhausted.

"Riolu!" I gasped, and rushed to the fallen Pokémon, cradling it in my arms.

"Hop in the sidecar," Officer Jenny said, vaulting over the motorcycle. "I'll rush you to the Pokémon Center! Nurse Joy will be able to help treat it!"

Aelita and I nodded, and we climbed in the side car, which zoomed down the road to this Pokémon Center that Officer Jenny spoke of.

(-o-)

Upon arrival, I learned just what the Pokémon Center and who this Nurse Joy was. A Pokémon Center was apparently a hospital specifically for treating injured Pokémon, and there were at least a couple dozen of them scattered throughout the Sinnoh region. Nurse Joy was the woman in charge of the Center, and was assisted by a Pokémon named Chansey, which, judging by the fact that it had a pouch with an egg and was very careful and yet speedy at its work, looked to be naturally capable of helping Nurse Joy with her work.

With a few explanations from Officer Jenny, Nurse Joy hooked up Riolu to a big machine which monitored its vital signs and would likely show where and how to fix any problems that it had. Aelita and I stared at it through the window, unsure of what to do next and worried for Riolu's safety. After a few minutes of testing, Nurse Joy came out of the room and we walked over to her.

"Is Riolu going to be okay?" I asked.

"It's going to be just fine," she nodded, smiling. "It took a big hit from those Pokémon, but it's nothing I can't handle. It's going to need a lot of rest for the rest of the day, though."

"Whew," I sighed, relieved.

"That's good to hear," Aelita said.

"So I hear you saved this Riolu," a voice came from behind.

Aelita and I turned around, and we saw a man about sixty years old with white hair in a brown lab coat. I instantly recognized him as the man from the video I saw from the plane.

"You're Professor Rowan, aren't you?" I asked.

"Why yes, I am," he nodded. "I see you've heard of me."

"I watched some of your videos on Pokémon when I flew in from France," I nodded, bowing. "My name is Jeremy Belpois, and this is Aelita Schaeffer." Aelita smiled and bowed as I introduced her.

"Well, that's quite a distance to come from, young man," he chuckled. "So what brings you here to the Sinnoh region, if I may ask?"

"Well, my friend told me about this great resort a few kilometers away from here at a place called Lake Valor," I started, "but Aelita saw your video and asked if I wanted to become a Pokémon Trainer. Now may I ask a question? How do you know about this Riolu?"

"Well, I happen to be studying this Riolu as part of my research on Pokémon evolution," he replied, looking at said Riolu.

"What's Pokémon evolution?" I asked.

"Well, when Pokémon reach a certain level of strength, they can change their shape and form," he answered. "This process is called evolution, and is different from the supposed evolution that animals and humans have gone through."

"Oh?" I asked, curious of his views on human and animal evolution.

"While I do believe in evolution from a biological standpoint," he began, "I do not believe in the kind of evolution being lectured about in college classes today where they say that evolution is the explanation of the origin of life. That kind of evolution is generated by random circumstances, and nothing about Pokémon evolution is by chance. Each one evolves in a specific way and, even though no two ways are exactly similar, they are all the same type of process."

"Okay, so what about that guy who attacked Riolu?" I asked.

"Well, he's a member of a group called Team Rocket, as I'm sure you're aware of," he said. "One day, while my team and I were working to discover how it could use auras like its evolved form, Lucario, a Murkrow crashed through the window and kidnapped the poor thing. Before any of us could react, that Weavile used its Ice beam to literally freeze us in our tracks. He revealed himself, stated his intention of using Riolu for world domination, and left without a word."

"That's horrible," Aelita gasped.

"I understand that you chased him off by beating him in a Pokémon battle," Professor Rowan said to me.

"Uh, yeah, I did," I said, shrugging. "It was probably a stroke of luck that I won, though."

"If there's one thing I've learned in all my 60 years of life," he said, "it's that there is no such thing as luck. You have a natural talent for battling. So do you want to become a Pokémon Trainer?" he asked.

For a while, I said nothing. I looked at Aelita, and then looked at Riolu. It felt like it took a minute when it was only a few seconds, but I nodded.

"Well, until now, I wasn't sure," I said, "but after seeing and being in a Pokémon battle, I made up my mind. The answer is yes, I do want to become a Pokémon Trainer!"

"And so do I!" Aelita said. "If Jeremy wants to be a Trainer, then I'll become one with him!"

"That's quite the adventurous spirit you two have got," he said. "I happen to be on my way to a summer educational school for beginning Trainers, but I think I can give you your start here and now." He then walked to the door. "If you both will follow me, we can get started."

We followed him out the door, and he led us to a table where various objects were scattered around. Two were devices that looked like handheld video games, and there were at least ten Poké Balls next to them. Next to this collection were two stacks of paper and two pens. None of us knew what to make of it until Professor Rowan spoke up.

"The device you're looking at is called a Pokédex," he said. "It's a high-tech encyclopedia that contains various data on the Pokémon that you will encounter in the Sinnoh region. It knows their moves, it can tell you if they're sick or healthy, and it can also function as your Pokémon Trainer Identification."

"Then what are these forms?" Aelita asked.

"They are the registration forms for your Pokémon Trainer licenses," the professor replied. "In order to become Pokémon Trainers, you must fill out these forms and submit a thorough examination which I will issue to you once the forms are completed. Be warned, however, for this exam will not be easy."

"So it's a test?" I asked, and then grinned. "That's fine by me. I always feel confident whenever I take any kind of test."

"Jeremy's really smart, Professor Rowan," Aelita said. "It also gives him confidence to take and pass any test he faces."

"Then don't hesitate to give it your all," he said. "I'm sure you'll both do just fine."

We nodded, and he handed us our forms.

(-o-)

Like Professor Rowan had said, this test would not be easy. The qualification forms and the exam covered a multitude of questions about our physical and mental health, along with our citizenship of our native country. It also covered questions about our knowledge of Pokémon. Since we had very little, if any at all, I relied solely on my instinct and judgment to discern the correct answers, and hoped that I would not be wrong. He gave us a full hour to study up on Pokémon before hand, but I still felt unsure as to what the right answers were.

After what seemed like forever, when it was only an hour and a half, we handed our exam to Professor Rowan, and he went into a room to review them. It had been about two hours since he went in, and we were getting nervous about our results. Suddenly, I heard the sound of silent footsteps coming towards us, and I saw the Riolu from before approach me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "Nurse Joy said that you should be resting!"

"She just gave me the clear to go," he said. "I heard you were taking the test to become a Pokémon Trainer from her, and I decided to see how it was going. Have you got your results yet?"

"Not yet," I shook my head. "To be honest, I'm more than bit nervous."

"Yet you seem confident besides that," the Riolu noted, "and you feel more accomplished than you have ever felt before."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"I can sense your aura," Riolu replied. "Your aura conveys your true emotions, and you seem like a nice and kind person, but also one who's been through a lot of conflict in the past. Your lady friend also has a kind and gentle aura around her, but she also seems rather sad, as if some tragic event happened to her in the past, and she's still trying to move past it."

"Wow, you're really something, aren't you?" I grinned. "How'd you learn to do that, anyway?"

"You mean the aura sensing or the talking?" he asked.

"Both, really," I said.

"Well, I come from a special kingdom, nestled right here in Sinnoh, where we learn how to speak human to forge better communication between humans and Pokémon," he replied, "and I learned how to sense aura at the same time and from the same people at the same place."

"That's incredible," I said.

"I understand you only came here for a vacation," he said, "but your friend asked if you wanted to become a Pokémon Trainer."

"That's right," I nodded. "I was hesitant at first, since I don't know a lot about this world and most people who start out are much younger than me, but after seeing you in action and being in the action, I decided I had to experience it for myself."

"And experience it you shall," came the voice of Professor Rowan as he emerged from the room.

"Professor Rowan," I said, walking up to him. "How did we do?"

"I must say, I'm thoroughly surprised by both of you," he said, and showed us our results. "You both received a perfect score! Congratulations!"

It took a minute for it to register in our minds, but when it did, Aelita and I jumped for joy. None of us had ever felt so happy in our lives. It was like nothing we had ever experienced before or ever would experience again.

"Now then," he said, "Here are your tools to get you started." He handed both of us one of the devices he had on the table, and five Poké Balls for us each. "Here are your Pokédex and your first five Poké Balls. Use them well." He also handed each of us a wallet-sized card. "These are your Pokémon Trainer licenses, so make sure you don't lose them."

"Yes, sir!" we both said in unison.

"Now, I will offer both of you a choice on your first Pokémon," he said, and turned to another table, where the three Pokémon from the video stood.

"Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup!" I said, knowing who these Pokémon were.

"Indeed," Professor Rowan nodded. "Each of you will be offered the choice of one of these Pokémon, and they will be your very first partners. Choose wisely, and-" he stopped in mid sentence when he noticed Riolu tugging on his lab coat.

"If you don't mind, professor," he said, "I would like to accompany Jeremy on his adventure as his first Pokémon."

"You want to be my first Pokémon?" I gasped.

"If that's okay with you and the professor," he said. "I sense a strong aura within you, and I'd love to travel with a smart and kind couple like you and Aelita."

"Well, I don't mind," I shrugged, blushing at the comment about me and Aelita. "I kinda hoped you could come with us, but I never imagined it like this. Do you mind, Professor Rowan?"

"If that's what Riolu wants, then so be it," he said.

"Then it's settled!" the Riolu said, and took one of the Poké Balls meant for me, and slapped his hand on the button, Instantly a red light enveloped him and drew him into the ball, which closed behind him. It began to spin and whir for a few seconds before it gave a 'dong' noise and the Poké Ball flashed out a series of sparkles.

"Well, it looks like I got my first Pokémon!" I said, and threw the ball into the air, releasing the Riolu. It flew up into the air, came back down, and I caught it in my arms. "Welcome aboard, Riolu!"

"Okay, now it's my turn!" Aelita said, and looked at the three Pokémon before her. "I made up my mind, and I choose Turtwig!"

The Piplup and Chimchar looked disappointed, but content. The Turtwig happily jumped into Aelita's arms, and she patted its head.

"You should also know that you can give your Pokémon a nickname to personalize its connection with you," Professor Rowan said.

"Well, do you mind, if I gave you a nickname?" I asked Riolu.

"Not at all," it shook its head. "Just know that I'm a boy, so please don't give me a girly name!"

"Okay," I said, laughing. "How does the name Judah sound to you?"

"That sound perfect!" Judah said.

"Okay, that's that!" I said happily, and bowed to Professor Rowan. "Thank you for helping us out, Professor Rowan."

"My pleasure," ne nodded. "I'm sure we'll meet again. Take good care of your Pokémon, and have the best of luck on your journey."

"We will!" Aelita and I nodded, and headed out the door of the Pokémon Center.

"So do you still want to head for Lake Valor?" Aelita asked.

"I do," I nodded, "but I want to meet strong Trainers here first and learn just what a Pokémon Trainer can do!"

"Then let's go!" Aelita cried, and we dashed to the road ahead of us, eager to start a new adventure in the remarkable world of Pokémon, where dreams and adventure awaited!

* * *

**A/N: Personally, I think this new intro of putting Aelita with Jeremy and a more detailed entry of Frank James was much better than before. As for why Marvin the Alakazam is not here, we will be in the next-next chapter.**

**Because THE NEXT chapter is the new version of James leaving Team Rocket!**

**-JeremyX signing off!**


	2. A Rocket Blasts Off for Good

**A/N: OKAY! Here's the last chapter I'm going to be writing for a while until school gets under control! I've also deleted "The Case of James Morgan" since the new plot changes that story quite a bit. And the review was right, I should finish this one first.**

**Pokémon (C) 1996-2014 Nintendo, Pokémon, GAME FREAK, Creatures.**

* * *

Chapter 2: A Rocket Blasts Off for Good

(Author's Note: The events described in this chapter took place one month before Jeremy and Aelita arrived in Sinnoh.)

A few miles away from Hearthome City, and outside of a city called Solaceon Town, a young lavender-haired man in his early twenties sat on a hill, feeling dejected. He was not alone, though; he was joined by two of his closest travelling companions: a huge flytrap Pokémon named Carnivine and a smaller pink clown-like Pokémon named Mime Jr. The man's name was James, and he was a member of the same Team Rocket that Frank James was a part of. However, while Frank James willingly joined up with the crime syndicate, James had little choice in the matter.

His parents only wanted to use him as a tool to 'become a proper gentleman' in order for him to make more money for themselves. They forced him to take numerous lessons in subject that he had no desire to learn when he was a small child, and paid no mind to how he felt or what he though. They even forced him into an engagement at the age of eight to a girl named Jessebelle, who would torture and force him to obey here every command with a gleeful stroke of her whip. He ran away from home to avoid his fate, leaving behind a Growlithe named Growlie which was his closest friend as a little kid, and ever since his life had been one bad instance after another. He flunked out of the school he spent his only scrap of money on, he joined a bike gang, and eventually joined Team Rocket.

It was not only him that suffered pain and sorrow, but his Pokémon as well. His Koffing, which evolved into a Weezing, was like a brother to him, and it was extremely painful for him to let it go. But it had to be dome so that it, along with Jessie's Arbok, could protect a group of Ekans and Koffing, which were Arbok and Weezing's respective pre-evolved forms, from the grip of a ruthless Pokémon Hunter named Rico. His Chimecho, which was with him in his Hoenn region travels, also grew frail and sick, and had to be left with his kindly grandparents until it recovered. And just the other day, he left his Cacnea, which he caught after he let his Weezing go, to a Gym Leader named Gardenia so that it could master a move called Drain Punch, which James felt he could not help it to do.

It wasn't bad luck all the time for him, though. He met Jessie in his school and met a talking Pokémon named Meowth when he joined Team Rocket. These two had been the best friends he could ever have. He stuck his neck out for them, and they stuck their necks out for him. They were more than just teammates, they were true friends. He also had friends in the other Pokémon he caught. The day he and his teammates arrived in Sinnoh, he found one of his parent's summer homes, and a Pokémon he had, which was Carnivine. Mime Jr. also came with him once he left his Chimecho behind.

But when he gave his Cacnea away, he felt all of his painful memories come crashing down on him like a ton of bricks. Needless to say, it would take him a long time for him to feel like his old cheerful self again. Even his partners could tell that he would take quite a long time to recover from his sadness. They knew that this was not the kind of feeling that one gets over easily enough.

As he sat there, accompanied only by his two faithful Pokémon, he thought long and hard about what he had done with his life up until now. He and his teammates were almost considered to be completely worthless in Team Rocket, due to the fact that they were constantly being outwitted by a mere child when they tried countless times to capture his Pikachu or any Pokémon within ten feet of him. As a matter of fact, he wouldn't be surprised if they got a notice any second that said that they were all fired. It happened once before, but it only lasted for a second because Team Rocket became short-staffed after many of its members got caught and arrested.

He began to wonder why they were even chasing that Pikachu in the first place. Sure it was powerful for its level, but couldn't they just find another one just as powerful and give it to their leader instead? Sure, Pikachu are pretty rare in most other regions, but they are very common in the forests in the Kanto region, specifically those around the small and quiet hamlet of Pallet Town. In fact, why was he even in Team Rocket in the first place? Sure, he couldn't go to a loving home, but he had plenty of options available to him. He could get a normal job, become a normal Pokémon Trainer, and lead a normal life. He did have a license to carry Pokémon, but perhaps it would be revoked if he was caught by the police.

So many of these thoughts weight so heavily on his mind that he didn't even notice the sound of a can opening behind him. His teammates had opened a can of sliced pineapples, knowing that they were James' favorite fruit, in the hopes that it would help him alleviate his gloominess. However, when he made no response, they saw that their efforts were in vain.

Just then, however, an oncoming sound did register in his mind.

"Li, deli, li, deli…"

James looked up, and saw the outline of a bird flying while holding its tail, which was made like a sack, in its beak. Its body was red in color, and so were its wings, but it had a white plumage resembling an old man's beard, and its sack-like tail was also white.

"Is that…?" he asked himself, and then the bird came closer and James' thoughts were confirmed. "It is!"

"What's what, James?" Jessie asked, noticing her companion was showing some emotion.

"Look up there!" he pointed, and the two Team Rocket agents saw what James had seen.

"It's Team Rocket's Deliboid!" Meowth cheered, and approached the landing Pokémon.

"Maybe it' got a promotion for us, straight from the Boss himself!" Jessie cheered, and joined Meowth.

"Given our track record, I highly doubt it," James mentioned.

"Stop being so glum!" Jessie groaned. "You need to get over Cacnea for your sake and our sake as well!"

James sighed, but went with Jessie and Meowth to greet Delibird as it landed in a clearing near the forest they were camping out in. It bowed and handed Meowth a letter from its sack. Meowth opened it, and pulled out a small video card with a digitally printed signature from their leader, Giovanni, on the reverse side of the card. Delibird also handed a small video screen with a slot to insert the video card in.

"Well, dis is sure fancy," Meowth commented in his strange accent.

"I'll say," Jessie nodded. "Now hurry up and try to play it!"

Meowth inserted the card, pressed a button on the top of the screen, and a video message began playing on the screen. The message showed a woman in a fine scarlet-and-black business suit, a long bowl-cut of fuchsia hair, and large thin-framed glasses. She stood in front of a Team Rocket emblem on a wall, and a painting of Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, hung on the wall next to the emblem.

"_Greetings, Team Rocket agents,_" she said. "_My name is Matori, and I am Mr. Giovanni's newly appointed secretary in Team Rocket. I am calling on behalf of Mr. Giovanni to address the current situation of Team Rocket agents Jessie Mathews, James Morgan, and Meowth._"

"Here it comes!" Jessie and Meowth squealed with delight.

"_As you may be aware,_" Matori's recording continued, "_we have been short-staffed for the past year due to numerous agents being arrested by the Police, but we have recently received a number of returning agents whom we have liberated from their confinement, along with fresh new recruits. As such, newer leadership is required for those who have proven themselves, while those who have only proven how inept they are must be eliminated._"

At this, James gulped, since he thought about this situation mere moments before.

"_By the power vested in me by Mr. Giovanni himself,_" Matori said, "_I hereby promote Jessie Mathews and Meowth to the rank of A-Class Admin of Team Rocket and confer upon them full responsibilities and rewards that come with said title._"

Jessie and Meowth jumped around for joy at this news. "YAY! We got a promotion~! We got a promotion~!"

"_However,_" Matori continued, "_I hereby declare that James Morgan be stripped completely of title, rank, and position as a Team Rocket agent, and is hereby expelled from Team Rocket._"

James was so shocked that he almost collapsed on the spot, and he barely registered the last details of the message.

"_We will send agents to retrieve you and your Pokémon within 24 hours of receiving this message,_" Matori said. "_If you try to escape, we will find you and capture you. Your Pokémon will be taken as payment for your teams' bills, and you will be handed over to the Police as punishment for your ineptitude as a Team Rocket agent."_

She finished the message with a salute and a recitation of the Team Rocket oath.

"_Steal Pokémon for profit!_

_Exploit Pokémon for profit!_

_All Pokémon exist for the glory of Team Rocket!_"

With that, the video message ended. As soon as Matori announced James' fate, Jessie and Meowth's joy almost instantly went away, and they looked at their friend with an expression of shock and horror. His facial expression seemed like he was going to laugh, cry, and yell all at the same time, and his mouth and eyes were twitching at random intervals. They also noticed that his hands were shaking very quickly, like when he was zapped by Pikachu's Thunderbolt, only worse.

"J-James?" Jessie asked, unsure of what to do.

"Are… are youse gonna… be ok?" Meowth asked, his voice shaking as well.

"I… I…" James stuttered, but said nothing.

Suddenly, he gave an ear-splitting scream of agony, which almost woke up every Pokémon in the forest and forced Jessie and Meowth to cover their ears. It was then followed by a loud and long fit of wailing and crying, with James' face turning red-hot with grief and anger as hot salty tears flowed from his eyes. Never before in all their time of knowing him have Jessie or Meowth seen James so completely broken and devastated.

They too felt the tears rush to their eyes, and latched themselves onto their friend, crying over his soon-to-be fate. Carnivine and Mime Jr. also saw the recording, and they hugged James as well (Carnivine actually clamped its massive jaws on James' head), afraid for their master and for themselves.

"I don't wanna leave you guys!" James bawled. "I don't want my Pokémon to be taken away either!"

"We don't want you to go either!" Jessie cried. "You're our best friend!"

"I can't believe dis is happenin'!" Meowth wailed. "We're supposed to be a team forever!"

Meanwhile, Delibird looked at the trio with a look of contempt, clearly not interested in this emotional outburst, and then promptly flew away back to Team Rocket headquarters in Kanto.

(-o-)

After a few more minutes of crying, the three friends finally stopped, and wiped the water from their faces and the mucus from their running noses. The three were heartsick, almost traumatized, at this terrible news. Meowth was the first to speak up.

"Dere's somethin' I ain't gettin' here," he said, still sniffling. "I thought dat da Boss thought we all were complete failures. Why would he only fire Jimmy?"

"Oh, why not?" James sobbed, beginning to cry again. "First it was Jessebelle, then I flunked Pokémon Tech, then Weezing, then Chimecho, then Cacnea, now this!"

"What's with the memory jogging?" Jessie asked, still sad but now confused by James' words.

"Before we got the message," he replied, "I was thinking about how badly things have gone in my life up to now, and I thought about how we've gotten absolutely nowhere in Team Rocket for the past three years, ever since we met that twerp and his friends. Think about it for a minute: have we managed to steal one single Pokémon since we met them?"

Jessie was about to answer, but then paused, realizing what James meant.

"You see?" James said. "The answer is none! As to why the Boss would only fire me, I can only guess someone has it in for me."

"But the only ones we know like dat are Cassidy and Butch!" Meowth noted, "and de're out for both of youse!"

"Well, who else could want me out of Team Rocket this badly?" James asked. "What's more, does the Boss even remember who any of us are?"

Neither Meowth or Jessie could answer that. A million thoughts ran through James' mind, each one trying to form a solution on how to get out of this horrible mess. Suddenly, one thought became very apparent to him, but he almost dismissed the idea as being completely ludicrous. There's no way in a million years that the person James just thought of could or would help him. But as he thought of more choices, it seemed like the only decent and best option that he had.

"Well, putting that aside," Jessie said, "what are we going to do now? Matori said they were going to start send agents after you and your Pokémon!"

"Which is why I have to leave you guys," James stated.

"WHAT!?" the two gasped, clearly shocked.

"I have no choice, you guys," he said. "They're going to hurt you if you try and escape with me, and these A-Class agents don't mess around! I've seen them myself! Don't throw away your promotion for my sake, go on without me!"

"But we just said we're a team!" Jessie cried.

"Even more importantly, we're friends!" Meowth added. "Ain't friends supposed to stick together?"

"They are," James nodded, "but friends also do what's best for each other, even if they must leave for a while because of it. It's putting someone else's needs before your own. Just like what that kid in the hat always was doing. He valued his Pokémon more than his own life, and that's exactly what true and best friends are supposed to do for each other."

"What's wit' da sudden praise for dat twoip?" Meowth asked. "Are you da new president of his fan club or something?"

"I'm going apologize to him and asking to be one of his friends," James said, matter-of-factly.

"What are you, crazy!?" Jessie gawked. "Do you really think that he'd be that willing to forgive you after all we've done to him and his friends and their Pokémon?"

"It's a crazy idea, I know," he said, "but it's the only one I got right now. Besides, he's not completely heartless, and neither are we. Think about the times that we helped them and they helped us!"

"But being da good guy a few times ain't gonna make up for three years of being da bad guy!" Meowth said. "What if the twoip decides to turn you in?"

"Better to be jailed by him than being captured and possibly tortured by Team Rocket," James replied. "Besides, it's not like I know anyone else that I can turn to."

James' expression soon turned from very sad to very serious, and Jessie and Meowth knew that when James looked serious, he was really serious.

"They may even assign you to capture me," he said. "If they do, I want you to hit me with all you got and don't hold back. If you don't they'll get suspicious and think that you helped me escape."

"But James, we can't!" Jessie said.

"We can't toin ya in!" Meowth protested. "We're your friends!"

"And you always will be!" James said. "But for now, and probably for only a little while, you must be my enemies. If you see me with Ash, ignore his Pikachu and go straight for me. It's not your mission and it never should have been. It did bring us good things, yes, like your Seviper and Dustox and Wobbuffet and all of our other Pokémon that we've met so far, but it's also brought us to this. Please, for my sake, leave Pikachu alone and take me instead!"

"But… but…" Jessie stuttered, still trying to come to grips with the whole situation. "Why can't we go with you?"

"Because I'm putting your needs before my own," James said, calmly. "I'm being your friend and telling you that you can't come with me, at least not right now."

"Isn't there anything we can do to stop this madness!?" Jessie cried.

"There is only one option," James stated. "Team Rocket has got to go."

"Whaddya mean by dat?" Meowth asked.

James got up and clenched his fists. "I'm going to build my own Pokémon army to take Team Rocket down and out… for good."

"Ok, now I know you've lost it," Jessie said. "How in the world do you plan on destroying Team Rocket all by yourself? And do you think that by doing that you'll be free to live however you want?"

"It's worth a shot," James said. "If I just sit around and do nothing, they'll continue to bring pain and suffering not just to me, but to other Pokémon and Trainers across the world. I've now realized that what I've done up until now has been wrong. But now I'm going to do the right thing and keep doing it until I can do no more. I owe it to Cacnea, to Weezing, and to all of my Pokémon, and most of all, I owe it to me and you."

Before Jessie and Meowth could say anything in protest, he ripped his gloves off and ripped his Team Rocket uniform shirt off his back. He then threw them to the ground and, after taking one last pained look at him and Jessie, he spat on them.

"James!" Jessie gasped.

"Wait a sec!" Meowth pleaded.

"I have no time," James said. "They'll be coming for me any second, and I need to put as much distance between me and them as I possibly can. Remember my wish: if you find me, don't hesitate to capture me. But also know that I will not hesitate to attack you, even though it will hurt me. You're all the best friends I could ever have, but, at least for now, this is where we part ways." He recalled Carnivine and Mime Jr. to their Poké Balls, and turned away from his friends. A single tear fell from his eye as he took a single step forward. "Goodbye."

Without a moment's hesitation, he ran and ran as fast as he could away from the hill and away from his old life. He could hear Jessie and Meowth screaming his name and begging him to come back, but he made no motion to turn back, knowing in his heart that if he did, he would regret it. Once again, tears came to his eyes as he ran through the forest. He did not stop running until his friends' voices could no longer be heard, and then he stopped in the middle of a clearing. He realized that he had never ran so fast before, and was now out of breath. He looked up into the night sky, and saw that the moon was now hanging high up in the sky, and that there were thousands of thousands of stars twinkling around it. There were two constellations that he thought resembled his friends, and his heart grew even sadder.

"I can't think about that for much longer," he said to himself. "I've got to keep moving. Keep moving and don't look back."

With that said, he ran off into the night once more.

Little did he know that he was not heading to where Ash and friends were, but that road he was taking would provide him with something just as good for him, if not better.

(-o-)

James awoke early the next day on the bed of leaves that he built for himself under the nice shade and protection of a sturdy oak tree. He had made it from outside of Solaceon Town to right outside of Hearthome City in the space of a single day. Stretching, he reached into his backpack, grabbed an apple that he had picked last night, and began to eat it. He still had his equipment with him, but not anything that would connect him with Team Rocket. He made sure to leave all of it behind, along with his rather painful memories of his past life.

However, not all of the memories would be forgotten, particularly those connected with Jessie and Meowth. He hated having to leave them behind, but he knew deep in his heart that it had to be done. They didn't deserve to get themselves dragged into being chased around the Sinnoh region – and quite possibly the rest of the world – by the most experienced Team Rocket agents that they had to spare. He also thought about what Jessie said about Ash possibly not forgiving him and even turning him in to the police if James showed his face to him like he planned. But he had no time or place for second guessing himself, so he vowed to find Ash, no matter what the outcome may be.

He was just turning to leave when he got quite a surprise. He heard a high-pitched cry that sounded very familiar to him, and yet was also unfamiliar.

"PI-KAAAAA!"

"That sounded like… Pikachu!" he gasped.

All of a sudden, the aforementioned Pokémon dashed right past him, followed quickly by a group of three very angry Primeape, snarling and growling and ready to pound the poor Mouse Pokémon into a pulp. At first, he thought it was Ash's Pikachu, but then saw that it was actually quite different. The black marks on the tips of its ears were not rounded as with normal Pikachu, but were spiked. Other than that, there were no differences between this new Pikachu and Ash's Pikachu.

"Ugh, enough thinking about color schemes!" James groaned. "I've got to save that Pikachu!" With that, he threw out one of his Poké Balls. "Carnivine, stop those Primeape with Bullet Seed!"

Carnivine popped out of its Poké Ball and fired seeds like bullets at the Primeape, who all stopped pursuing Pikachu, and turned their fury to James.

"Ulp," he gulped, but then clenched his fists. "Get in there, Carnivine, and tie them up with Wrap!"

Carnivine's vine-like legs grew out and entangled the terrible trio. Just then, James took out Mime Jr.'s Poké Ball and summoned him as well. "Mime Jr., use Tickle!" Mime Jr. began tickling the Primeape, making them laugh while lowering the power of their physical moves.

Unfortunately, one of the Primeape broke free from its bindings and attacked Carnivine with a Karate Chop attack, freeing its two partners.

"So you like to play dirty, eh?" James grinned. "This sounds fun. Mime Jr., use Mimic!"

Mime Jr. copied Primeape's Karate Chop, and knocked the three Pig Monkey Pokémon back. James knew, however, that Mime Jr.'s attack did not do much, considering it didn't have a high Attack power like the Primeape did. But it did have a relatively high Special Attack power, and James would put good use to that.

"Carnivine, use Bullet Seed!" James cried. "Mime Jr., use Mimic!"

Both Carnivine and Mime Jr. shot out tons of seeds, and they hit the Primeape with high power and speed. But the Primeape would not give up, as was part of their nature. Just then, the Pikachu from before shot out a Thunderbolt attack at the three Pokémon that were chasing it. It was then that James had another idea.

"Mime Jr., use Mimic to copy that Thunderbolt!"

Mime Jr. obeyed, and a bolt of lightning, slightly less powerful than the one Pikachu had launched, knocked the Pig Monkey Pokémon off of their feet. At this, all three of the Primeape decided to abandon their fight, and scattered off into the woods.

"Whew, what a relief," James sighed, and then walked slowly over to the Pikachu so not to scare it. As he approached it, he also got down on his knees to show that he meant no harm. "Are you okay, little guy?" he asked. "It's okay, I won't hurt you. I want to help you."

At first, the Pikachu shrugged it off, but then collapsed when it took one measly step forward.

"You're hurt!" James gasped, and began to reach for the Pikachu. However, it shot off a few sparks to keep James at bay. Carnivine and Mime Jr. tried to explain to the Pikachu that James was not going to hurt it, but it tried to shock them instead. However, its sparks soon faded away, and it fainted.

"The poor thing must be exhausted," James frowned, picking up the unconscious yellow rodent. "We have to get it to a Pokémon Center, and fast!"

With that, he recalled his own Pokémon and dashed to Hearthome City to find the Pokémon Center.

(-o-)

Fortunately for him and the Pikachu, he made it to Hearthome City in under ten minutes, and found the Pokémon Center in under one minute of arriving in the city. He explained the situation to Nurse Joy that he found it attacked in the forest and chased off the Pokémon attacking it. She accepted his story and took the Pikachu into treatment. He waited outside the emergency room for at least twelve minutes while he waited anxiously for news about the Pikachu. Before too long, however, Nurse Joy reappeared.

"Well, the good news is that you got to this poor thing at just the right time," Nurse Joy stated, "and Pikachu is going to be just fine."

"Well, that's great news," James sighed. "But what's the bad news?"

"It's taken major damage from the stress of running really far and really fast, and those Primeape's attacks were very powerful against it," she replied. "It's going to have to stay until tomorrow morning to fully recover."

"Uh, ok," James said. "Do you mind if I stay here and watch it?"

"That's perfectly fine," she nodded. "I could use some help around here. In fact, I could hire you for a while to help out with the Pokémon. What do you say?"

"Well…" James began, but stopped. He would only have until the end of the day before Team Rocket would be after him, but he felt more worried about Pikachu than about himself. "Okay, I'll do it. Is it okay if I only work for today? I've got to get to Solaceon Town to meet a friend of mine soon."

"That's perfectly fine," Nurse Joy said. "Any help at all is welcome."

He then looked down at himself and saw the state he was in. His clothes were torn and dirty, and what remained of his uniform were barely recognizable at all. Either this was during the Primeape encounter or all his time of travelling finally caught up to his clothes. Then again, he did fall into a pit after climbing out of a thorn bush he tripped and fell into last night.

"Well, I guess I could use a new set of clothes," he said to himself. "Do you have any spare sets of clothes? I don't have a lot of money, but I could work even harder for those if that's what you want."

"It's no problem if you need some new clothes," Nurse Joy replied, "and we've got plenty here. Please don't feel like you have to pay, we get plenty of clothes donated here every day. Pokémon Centers like this one pride themselves on offering free services to all Pokémon Trainers." She then pointed to the hallway. "There's a closet at the end of the hallway on the left side right before you get to the restroom. The men's clothes are in a box on the top shelf."

"Thanks a bunch," he said, very relieved. "I'll just get a simple set and be right back."

With that, James went down the hallway and arrived at the closet. He looked in the box and found something just right for him: a new pair of faded jeans and a simple pair of running shoes. He took the clothes from the box, and then his nose started twitching.

"Phew," he snorted. "Something smells terrible in here."

As if on instinct, he lifted up his arm and sniffed his armpit. He almost fainted on the spot and dropped the clothes as he grabbed his nose, whimpering like a dog who had just tasted something awful.

"Yikes!" he whined. "I need a shower something bad!"

(-o-)

After a few minutes of cleaning himself up, and trying on his new clothes, which fit him perfectly, he was ready for helping Nurse Joy. She first assigned him to restocking the vending machines in the front lobby, and then to assisting in the recovery of the injured Pokémon that were brought in that day by various Trainers. He also was assigned to assist in the mysterious Pikachu's recovery, at which he felt a mysterious sense of purpose.

"I've never seen anything quite like this," Nurse Joy said as she observed the machine that Pikachu was hooked up to.

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"Its power level is far beyond that of any ordinary Pikachu," she explained, and pointed to the screen. "Look here. The readings show that it had a massive buildup of electricity charged up in its sacs, and yet did not suffer any ill effects from it. I took a charge sample while you were restocking the vending machines, and I discovered that the charge was just as powerful as a normal Raichu, which is normally impossible for a Pikachu. What's more bizarre is that this Pikachu has no Trainer identification."

"Wait, this Pikachu is wild?" James gasped.

"I was quite surprised as well," Nurse Joy nodded. "This is nothing like anything I've ever experienced before in all my years here."

"I've seen one Pikachu exactly like this once before," James said, "but it was owned by someone else."

Just then, a faint memory seemed to echo through the deepest recesses of James' mind. He felt that he had seen this exact Pikachu somewhere before, but could not remember exactly where. All that he could remember on the spot was that Ash and his Pikachu were there as well, and so were Jessie and Meowth. He took another look at the Pikachu, which was sleeping peacefully, and it all fell into place.

He could see a vast mountain in the Johto region, a lake of the purest water he ever saw, and a tall pink Pokémon that looked somewhat similar to drawings of a Pokémon long thought to be only a myth. He also saw scores of Team Rocket agents defiling the place with their waste and evil desires to use the Pokémon that lived there in their experiments. He also saw an image of a blond-haired girl in pig-tails standing next to a familiar orange-suited figure who had an evil-looking Persian on the other side of him.

He realized then and there that this Pikachu was in fact…

"James?" Nurse Joy asked, bringing James back to the present. "Are you all right?"

"Huh?" James blinked. "What happened?"

"You spaced out for a second there," she replied. "Your eyes got all glassy and you stopped moving, so I snapped my fingers trying to get you back here."

"Sorry, I got caught up in some memories," he said. "You wouldn't happen to know of a Trainer named Ask Ketchum, would you?"

"The one who won the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition three days ago?" Nurse Joy asked. "Yes, I know him. Are you a friend?"

"Well, sort of, yeah," James said, stretching the truth. "Do you know where he said he was heading off to?"

"He looked like he was heading for the Pokémon Gym in Veilstone City," she replied, "and his friend Dawn was going to stop at Solaceon Town along the way to compete in the Pokémon Contest there."

"Got it," James smiled. "Thanks for the info."

Just then, a scream was heard from the front lobby, and James and Nurse Joy quickly rushed to the scene of the potential disaster. What they did not know was that the Pikachu awoke from its slumber as well and watched the two leave. It managed to climb out of the machine, and ran towards where James and Nurse Joy ran off to. When James arrived at the scene, he was shocked at what he saw.

A Mightyena had a little girl pinned down to the ground and was barring its fangs at her as she screamed in sheer fright. He parents, who were equally horrified, were tied up with what looked like a Pokémon's String Shot and pushed against the wall by a tall man, about James' age, with an Ariados. The man was dressed in a black uniform with white boots and gloves. His hair was red and stuck out in many spikes, and his eyes were a stone-cold dark gray. There were a few other people in the lobby, but they were scared by the man and by his intimidating, and quite possibly very powerful, Pokémon.

"I'll ask you one more time, girlie," the man said, with a venomous tone. "Have you seen this man?"

"No!" the girl squealed. "I never saw him!"

"Leave our daughter alone!" her father hollered. "She has done nothing wrong!"

"Stay out of this, old man!" the man growled, and his Ariados clicked angrily at the man. "Who here has seen a man named James? He's about as tall as me, has lavender hair, and acts like a weirdo! I have orders to bring him back to my boss, so stay out of my way and do as I say!"

James gasped. This guy was one of the agents that Team Rocket sent to find him, and now he was hurting all of these innocent people and Pokémon to get to him. His fear and shock left him, and now he burned hot with anger. He began to walk forward, but then Nurse Joy stopped him.

"What are you doing!?" she gasped. "Do you want to get yourself seriously hurt?"

"You don't get it, ma'am," James said, with sorrow permeating his voice. "He's after me. I'm the James he's looking for. If he has me, then he'll leave these people alone."

Nurse Joy was shocked, and James turned away, not wanting to see her face as he went to meet the Team Rocket agent. The Pikachu looked out from behind the door, and saw that while James looked afraid of the man, he was not afraid to meet him, if it meant saving those innocent people.

"Hey, you!" James said, and the agent turned to face him. "Leave these people alone. It's me you want, I'm James of Team Rocket, so leave then out of it."

"Gladly," he chuckled.

The man grinned and snapped his fingers. Mightyena released the girl from its grip and cut the strings holding her parents. The girl ran to her parents, who hugged her and cried.

"May I ask who you are?" James asked. "I know you're from Team Rocket, but I've never seen you before."

"My name is Goddard," the man replied. "I'm an A-Class admin sent by Team Rocket for the sole purpose of capturing you to be delivered to our leader, Giovanni, for punishment for your ineptitude at our organization."

"Then do it outside," James said. "We go outside, and I won't run away. But I don't want you to hurt these people any more than you already have."

Goddard nodded, and the two stepped out of the Pokémon Center, along with Goddard's Pokémon. However, as soon as they left the building, Mightyena tackled James while his back was turned, causing him to fly into a wall, severely injuring him. The onlookers, including Nurse Joy, gasped in shock.

"I said I wouldn't hurt them," Goddard smiled wickedly. "I never said anything about not hurting you."

James struggled to get up, but then Mightyena bit his leg, causing him to cry out in pain and sink to the ground again. This caused the crowd to become even more shocked and appalled, and Nurse Joy almost ran out to help him, but a bright flash of yellow stopped her.

"I'd be going against orders," Goddard said, "but I don't see the purpose in taking you with me and let Giovanni hand you over to the police." He then kicked James hard in the gut with his boot, and James gagged and coughed up some saliva that had just a hint of red in it.

"Traitors like you need a nap…" Goddard grinned, and then raised his boot again. "A DIRT NAP!"

James looked down and waited for the end to come.

But it never came.

Just then, Goddard lit up with the force of a thousand volts of electricity, causing him to fall to the ground. James looked through his battered and watery eyes and saw that the Pikachu from before had used its electric attacks to save James.

"Thank you, Pikachu," he said weakly.

Just then, he heard a voice ring out.

"Chansey, try to use Soft-Boiled on James!"

James looked up and saw Nurse Joy with her Chansey, and the latter flung a yellowish copy of the egg in its pouch at James. When it reached him, James' body absorbed the egg, and the yellow glow enveloped him. Instantly, he felt every pain in his body fade completely away, and he sprung to his feet, revitalized by Nurse Joy's generosity.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy!" James called out. "Now allow me to take care of things here!"

Nurse Joy smiled and nodded, and the crowd cheered. James smiled for a while, but then his smile faded. He then stepped up to Goddard, who was lying on the ground, paralyzed by Pikachu.

"I said I wouldn't run away," he said darkly. "I didn't say I wouldn't fight back."

"You… can't… hide forever," he said, struggling to get the words out. "Others… will… follow…"

"Let them come," James said, letting his voice be heard by all who were there. "But know this: I'm not going down without a fight, and I'll give Team Rocket a fight they'll never forget. Know why? Because I'm going to take Team Rocket down with my own hands and my own Pokémon!"

"Pika-pika!" the Pikachu cried, and ran up to James. "Pika-pi-pika-chu!"

"You want to help me waste this guy?" James asked, and Pikachu nodded. "Well, that's nice of you. By the way, thanks for saving me back there. Looks like we're even now, huh?"

Pikachu nodded, and James grinned at the fallen and frozen Goddard. "Have a nice flight."

Pikachu got the message, and shot another Thunder attack, blasting Goddard into the sky. He screamed as loud as he could until he flew off to the horizon and could be heard no more. James whistled as he saw the agent fly off.

"Well, I always wondered what a blast-off looked like from down here!" he chuckled.

Just then, he heard the sound of people cheering. He turned around, and saw the people from the Pokémon Center applauding him and the Pikachu for driving Goddard away. Even the little girl ran up to him and gave his legs a big hug.

"Thanks a lot, mister!" the girl said, and ran back to her parents. "My name is Sue, and I think you're really strong!"

"Huh!?" James was now very confused.

"We thank you for saving our daughter," her father said, shaking James' hand. "We are in your debt."

"HUH!?" James could barely contain his bewilderment.

"Allow me to explain, James," Nurse Joy said, coming out. "It's true that they know you're from Team Rocket, but they thanked you for saving them from one who was worse than he claimed you to be. The truth is I knew you were in Team Rocket when you came in, since I had seen your wanted poster outside the Pokémon Center, but you asked for help for this Pikachu."

"What does that have to do with anything?" James asked.

"Well, the way I see it," Nurse Joy replied, "anyone who puts the safety of Pokémon above themselves isn't truly evil. You may be labeled as a villain, but I don't think you're a bad person."

"You don't?" James gasped.

"You were sure brave standing up to Goddard," she noted, "and you did help out around here, and you didn't complain or get frustrated when things went wrong. I think that makes you a very good person."

"It does?" James grinned.

"It does," she nodded. "Now you'd better leave before more agents come for you, or even the police. I won't tell anyone your secret, and neither will these people."

"Thank you," James bowed.

Just then, Pikachu tugged at James' leg.

"Oh yes," James said. "Thank you for your help as well. I remember you now, you're that Pikachu clone who was with Mewtwo in the Johto region two years ago, aren't you?"

The Pikachu nodded, and then said something in its language.

"I take it that you remember me," he said, and Pikachu nodded. It also jumped on his shoulder, akin to what Ash's Pikachu did with him.

"I think Pikachu wants to go with you, James," Nurse Joy said, smiling.

"Are you sure?" James gasped. He never thought he'd live to see the day he'd add a real Pikachu to his team, much less the clone of Ash's Pikachu that he met two years ago. But Pikachu nodded, confirming his thoughts. James was surprised, but then he smiled widely, pulling out a Poké Ball form his pocket.

"Then welcome to the team, Pikachutwo!" he said, and lightly tapped Pikachu's forehead with the Poké Ball, which sucked the Mouse Pokémon inside. After it clocked three time and dinged, he let it out. "Ready to hit the road?"

Pikachutwo nodded, and the two took off, but this time, James looked back and saw the people waving him goodbye. He gave a thumbs-up, and continued, not daring to look back anymore. But no tears of shame fell from his face this time. He was now crying tears of pure joy. For once, he was a hero, and it felt better than anything he'd ever done.

And if he had his way, he'd be doing it a lot more often with the help of a red-capped kid and his own Pikachu.

* * *

**A/N: OVER 7000 WORDS!? THIS IS EPIC FOR ME BEYOND WORDS!**

**Hope I did good, and I can't wait to write more! And more is to come soon, so stay tuned!**

**-JeremyX signing off!**


	3. Good Trainers and Bad Trainers

**A/N: HOLY CRAP, THIS TOOK A WHILE TO WRITE! VEGETA, WHAT'S THE WORD COUNT?  
****V: IT'S OVER 9000! (breaks his scouter)****Me: WHAT!? 9000?! THERE'S NO WAY THAT COULD BE RIGHT!****  
Well, it is. Here's may latest chapter, and I may write more in the future, but with hardly any interest in this story, I don't know why I even bother.****Oh right, I write because I like to! Take that!****  
Pokémon (C) 1995-2014 Pokémon, Nintendo, GAME FREAK, Creatures  
****Code Lyoko (C) 2002-2014 MoonScoop, France 3****SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE!**

* * *

Chapter 3 – Good Trainers and Bad Trainers

As Aelita and I left the Pokémon Center, I quickly realized that I had no clue as to what a Pokémon Trainer was supposed to do beyond simply raising Pokémon to do battle. Fortunately, my town map was able to locate a place in Hearthome City for beginning Trainers such as ourselves. It was known as the Pokémon Fan Club, and apparently it was one of four branches, and its other branches were in the regions of Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn. Everyone in the club was, as the name described, fans of Pokémon who knew pretty much everything that was commonly known about Pokémon. When I asked a few of the fan club members a question about what being a Pokémon Trainer meant, they were quick to give Aelita and I a surprisingly detailed answer.

"So Pokémon Trainers go to different Pokémon Gyms across the region," I began, making sure I got it all down.

"Yes," the man nodded.

"And these Gyms are run by Trainers called Gym Leaders," Aelita added, "and these Gym Leaders give Gym Badges to Trainers who defeat them."

"That's right," the woman beside him nodded.

"And once a Trainer has accumulated all eight official League Gym Badges," I finished, "they are allowed to challenge the Pokémon League, which is a contest of super strong Trainers."

"That's pretty much all you need to know," the man nodded.

"Okay, then," I clapped my hands and rubbed them together, "is there a Gym here?"

"There is," the woman nodded, "but the Gym Leader is often away. You can go check it out for yourself, but don't get your hopes up. It's right in the middle of town, you'll know it when you see it."

"Okay, thanks," Aelita bowed, and we left the fan club building.

Sure enough, we could see the Gym as soon as we got to the center of town. It was a rather small building with a Poké Ball symbol near the roof, and a giant balloon of a Pokémon that Judah said was called Drifblim floating above it. According to the Town Map, the Gym Leader was a woman named Fantina, and is an expert in Ghost-Type Pokémon, such as Drifblim.

As Aelita, Judah, and I approached the Gym, we both noticed someone standing in front of the Gym. It was a boy about my age with dark lavender hair and a blue jacket and gray pants with matching backpack. He obviously heard us approach, because he turned around when we got near the Gym. When I saw his face, it kind of disturbed me, because it was very cold and distant, yet also a complex of other emotions.

"Who are you?" he asked, rather curtly.

"I'm Jeremy," I replied, "and this is Aelita. We're here looking to find a Gym to teach us how to be a proper Pokémon Trainer."

The Trainer gave a scoff. "I take it you're new Trainers?"

"We are," Aelita nodded.

For a while, the boy said nothing. But after a second, he spoke. "Paul."

"Huh?" I was confused.

"My name," he stated. "Also, the Gym Leader's not here."

"Oh, so you're Paul," Aelita said. "Well, do you know when she'll be back?"

"The sign says she's out on break," Paul shrugged, and then walked away. "If you ask me, Gym Leaders don't deserve a break."

"Why do you think that?" I asked, surprised at his rudeness.

"If Gym Leaders leave their Gym," Paul replied, "then no challengers show up because they can't earn their Gym Badge. No challengers means no Gym, and no Gym means no Gym Leader." He then turned to leave. "Whatever, this Gym Leader's probably a pathetic loser like the Veilstone Gym Leader, anyway."

"Hold on!" Aelita said, and got in front of Paul. "I may not know a lot about this place, but you can't insult people you've never met for no reason!"

"Get out of my way, you pathetic rookie," Paul snarled.

At this, my nerve snapped, and I ran forward, coming between Paul and Aelita.

"Don't you call her pathetic!" I barked angrily.

"She's a pathetic rookie, so I'll call her a pathetic rookie," Paul glared. "Got a problem with that?"

"Read my lips," Aelita said, coming from behind me. "Battle me one-on-one and find out."

He scoffed. "If it'll get you to shut up and see that I'm right, fine. We'll battle right here, right now."

"Are you okay with this, Aelita?" I asked, afraid for her.

"Don't worry, Jeremy," Aelita said. "I'll be fine."

Aelita and Paul got into opposite positions across from each other, and whipped out one Poké Ball each.

"Turtwig, let's go!" Aelita cried, and threw her new Pokémon into battle.

"Magmar, stand by for battle!" Paul declared, and threw out a tall Pokémon that was all red and a body pattern that made it look like it was colored in flames.

"What's that Pokémon?" I asked, and whipped out my Pokédex for more info.

"_Magmar, the Spitfire Pokémon,"_ the machine spoke. _"It lives in volcanoes and breathes fires as hot as 2200 degrees Fahrenheit."_

"I'm no expert in Pokémon battles," I said, "but I'm pretty sure Fire-Type Pokémon can do major damage against Grass-Type Pokémon."

"You'd be right about that," Judah said.

"Magmar, Flamethrower!" Paul ordered, and a stream of fire spewed from Magmar's pointed mouth, enveloping Turtwig, who began to scream in pain, in flames.

"Turtwig!" Aelita gasped, frozen in fear.

"Aelita, don't panic!" I shouted. "Stay calm and counterattack!"

But Turtwig looked like it barely could move at all, much less strike back. I turned to see Paul grin, and a very callous grin it was. He looked like a third grade playground bully who was beating up a preschooler and having the time of his life.

"Fire Punch!" he said, and the Spitfire Pokémon literally punched a fist of fire at Aelita's defenseless Pokémon, which was sent flying into a tree, and collapsed to the ground, unable to go on, and very badly injured.

"Turtwig, no!" Aelita cried, and rushed to her fallen partner. She quickly recalled it into its Poké Ball, knowing that it would be somewhat safe in there.

Paul recalled his Magmar and scoffed. "That wasn't even a challenge. You really are pathetic."

"You heartless brute!" Judah shouted, and Paul turned his attention to him. "You didn't even give them a chance to fight back, and you called them both weak! Aelita just got that Turtwig an hour ago, and you call her pathetic? She barely knows anything about Pokémon! WHAT KIND OF HUMAN ARE YOU!?"

Paul had a slight look of surprise that a Pokémon could speak, but that was quickly replaced with a scowl. "Ignorance of the ways of battle is no excuse for poor results. She is pathetic and she always will be. And I have no time for losers like them or pathetic baby Pokémon like you."

At this remark, my blood boiled over like an active volcano. He just insulted my girlfriend and my new partner in one fell swoop, and I did not take kindly to that remark at all. It took everything I had not to punch him in the nose and knock his teeth down his throat.

"If you think you're so tough," I said, "then battle me and prove yourself!"

Paul scowled. "What makes you think you're better than her? You're just as much a greenhorn as she is, so that makes you even more pathetic than her."

"That's what you think," I said. "You deliberately picked a Pokémon that was super-strong against hers and was more experienced than hers to make her look like a fool! I will not sit idly by while you bully those who are less experienced than you, particularly my girlfriend, just for kicks… you dirty coward."

At this last remark, I saw Paul's expression change to one of fierce anger, and knew I had struck a nerve, just as I planned. I then turned to my partner. "Ready to do this, Judah?"

He nodded, and jumped into a fighting stance.

"You pull out your Magmar again," I said, "and see if Judah here stands a better chance against it."

"So be it!" Paul growled, and summoned Magmar once again.

"Judah, use Aura Sphere!" I declared, and the blue sphere of energy fired at Magmar, striking it squarely in its chest and causing it to crumble.

"Impossible!" Paul shouted. "Riolu can't learn Aura Sphere without evolving into Lucario!"

"Some things defy explanation!" I stated. "Now, Bullet Punch!"

Judah flew at Magmar and punched it in the chest, but it did not seem to do a lot of damage, as it grinned maliciously upon Judah striking it.

"You may know a bit, but not enough!" Paul said. "Steel-Type moves don't match up when facing Fire-Type Pokémon!"

"Uh-oh," I gulped. "Judah, get out of there!"

"Too late!" Paul cried. "Magmar, Fire Spin!"

A spiral of fire spewed out from Magmar's mouth, and Judah was caught in the vortex. I could see that the flames were hurting Judah every second, and they didn't show signs of going away.

"Now, Will-O-Wisp!" Paul shouted, and a blue flame came from Magmar's mouth, ready to burn Judah.

"Quick, Judah!" I cried, "use Shadow Claw!"

Judah produced shadowy energy around its hands, and it blew away the flames form the Fire Spin and deflected the Will-O-Wisp.

"Well done!" I cheered.

"Don't praise a pathetic move like that!" Paul growled. "Your Pokémon is nothing but a coward!"

"An interesting choice of words for the _real_ coward, Paul," I said. "Insult him once, shame on me. Insult him twice, shame on you! Judah, Drain Punch!"

Judah fired his fist at Magmar, and drained some of its energy, which went into Judah, revitalizing him.

"Magmar, use Flamethrower!" Paul ordered.

"Judah, fight back with Aura Sphere!" I cried.

Both attacks flew at each other with equal speed, but Judah's Aura Sphere flew above Magmar's Flamethrower and hit Magmar between the eyes, while Judah dodged the Flamethrower.

"Now, Shadow Claw!" I cried, and Judah slashed at Magmar, and since Magmar looked like it took the hit hard, the high-critical-hit ratio kicked in, dealing massive damage and nearly causing it to fall over.

"Fight back, you lazy brute!" Paul shouted.

"Last attack, Judah!" I cried, my heart racing in my chest. "Use Drain Punch!"

Judah jabbed Magmar in the chest, and Magmar was sent tumbling backwards into a nearby tree, hitting its head and causing it to faint.

"We did it!" I cheered, and Judah leaped into my arms as we danced around for joy.

"Way to go, Jeremy!" Aelita cheered, and hugged me and Judah as well.

We then turned to Paul, who was walking up to his Magmar, a cold expression on his face.

"You ought to be ashamed," he scolded. "To have been taken down by a pathetic baby like that? You're useless!"

"How can you act that way to your own Pokémon!?" Aelita gasped, horrified as I was at Paul's cruelty.

"What I do with my Pokémon is my business," he said. "No one tells me what to do, got that?"

"I'll tell you what I got!" I said angrily. "I got a problem with you! Why do you think it's okay to treat your Pokémon and other people like trash? Do you not expect consequences for your actions? Heck, have you not gotten any negative repercussions?"

"I train my way, and you train yours," Paul stated as he recalled Magmar and walked away. "You don't tell me what to do, and I don't tell you what to do. Now I've got another Gym to find."

"But what about your Magmar?" I asked. "Shouldn't you take it to a Pokémon Center?"

"I don't have the time for that," he stated. "I've wasted enough time with you two already."

"But Magmar is hurt!" Aelita protested.

"Your point?" Paul queried. "I can heal it myself, you know."

"But you still need to take it to a Pokémon Center first!" I said. "If you don't you're neglecting your duties as a Trainer!"

"I think I told you before," Paul said, continuing his path. "Don't tell me what to do."

As I gritted my teeth and began to force Paul to go to the Pokémon Center, a police siren was heard, and Officer Jenny came from around the corner.

"I got a call from some locals that there was a disturbance here," she said. "Any of you involved?"

"Officer Jenny, thanks for coming again!" I stated. "You really saved me and Judah yesterday!"

"I'm sorry," Jenny shrugged, "but I've never seen any of you before."

"Huh?" I raised my eyebrow. "But I met you just yesterday! You helped take down that Team Rocket thug who tried to kidnap Judah!"

"Well, that Jenny wasn't me," she stated. "The Officer Jenny you met yesterday was my older sister."

"Older sister?" I asked, and then she showed me a picture of multiple identical versions of Officer Jenny standing in front of a police academy. "Wow!" I gasped. "There sure are a lot of Jennys!"

"So what is this disturbance about?" she asked.

"Well, we were heading for the Hearthome Gym, and then…" I stated, and turned around, but Paul was nowhere to be seen. "Huh? Where'd he go?"

"Where'd who go?" Jenny asked.

"Paul," I said, looking around, but finding no one. "He was just here, but now he's not. He challenged me and Aelita to a battle. He wiped out Aelita new Turtwig, and called them both pathetic. I jumped in and beat him, but he refused to take his Magmar to a Pokémon Center."

"Paul, huh?" she grimaced.

"You know him, ma'am?" I asked.

"Yeah, he's kind of a trouble kid around here in Sinnoh," she said. "He's a strong Trainer, to be sure, but he mistreats his Pokémon and insults anyone he defeats, calling them 'pathetic' or 'useless'. I've gotten a few complaints about him, but when I actually saw what he did to his Chimchar in the Hearthome Tag Battle last month, I tried to at least write him a citation, but he escaped before I could catch him."

"What did he do to his Chimchar?" I asked, afraid for the answer.

"What didn't he do to it?" she scoffed. "He attacked it with four of his own Pokémon at once during a late-night 'training session' to 'toughen it up', then disregarded Nurse Joy's orders to let it rest and put it through the next round of the tournament and let it get hurt without helping it, plus he even attacked his own teammate's Turtwig with its Flame Wheel!"

"That's so awful!" Aelita gasped.

"What happened to Chimchar?" I asked. "Is it okay?"

"He released it after the round ended," she stated, "but it was caught by his tag partner, a boy named Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town in the Kanto region."

"Kanto?" I gasped. "That's really far away from here!"

"He is currently qualifying to participate in the Sinnoh League," Jenny said. "According to Nurse Joy, he's on his way to Veilstone City right now to get his third Gym Badge."

"Is this Ash Ketchum a nice guy?" I asked.

"My sisters from across the regions have told me stories about a kid like him who goes around the different regions in the world, battling all the Leagues, trying to become a Pokémon Master."

"Pokémon Master?" I asked.

"No one knows what he means by that either," she shrugged. "But he's very strong and very kind to his Pokémon."

"Sounds like the guy we need to learn from, huh?" I asked Aelita.

"Sure sounds like it," she nodded.

"Are we free to go, Officer Jenny?" I asked.

"Sure thing," she nodded. "I'll just label this incident under Paul's file for now. That kid's going to get in big trouble one of these days."

"We can only hope so," I said, and we walked towards the Pokémon Center.

(-o-)

We got to the Pokémon Center just in time, and Nurse Joy said Turtwig was going to be just fine. It was, however, going to need to need the rest of the day and tomorrow morning to recover. Needless to say, we were all very relieved to hear this news. We also learned that, like Officer Jenny, there were multiple Nurse Joys throughout the region.

"If I may ask," Nurse Joy said, "what happened to it?"

"We ran into this Trainer at the Gym," I stated. "He challenged Aelita to a battle and torched Turtwig with a Magmar, without allowing it to fight back. He even had the nerve to call it and Aelita pathetic."

"Wait, pathetic?" she asked. "By any chance, was this Trainer's name Paul?"

"As a matter of fact, he was Paul," I said. "Do you know of him?"

"He put his Chimchar through so much agony a month ago due to his impatience," she stated angrily, "and then defied my order to let it rest after."

"Wait, you're the Nurse Joy that Officer Jenny told us about!" Aelita said. "Did you report him?"

"I did," she nodded, "but he evaded Officer Jenny and never came back here."

"I beat his Magmar and he showed no desire to come to any Pokémon Center," I stated.

"Well, I'll make sure to file that in as well," she said. "In any case, please feel free to stay here as long as you want."

I nodded, and then noticed a stray doctor's jacket in the corner behind Nurse Joy.

"Was there a doctor here a while ago?" I asked.

She looked at the jacket and sighed. "Oh, that must have been the one that James used before he left."

"James?" I asked. "Who's he?"

"He's a strange character," she replied. "He came in here looking for help for a Pikachu he saved from a pack of Primeape, and he ended up saving everyone from a guy from Team Rocket."

"Wait, Team Rocket!?" I gasped. "What was the guy's name?"

"He called himself Goddard," she replied. "According to Officer Jenny's intel, he's an explosive agent who is prone to violent fits of anger at any moment. He also enjoys torturing people and Pokémon just for fun."

"That's even more cruel than that other guy, Frank James!" Aelita said.

"He showed up a day after James did," Nurse Joy continued. "What was strange about his 'visit' here was that he was looking for James."

"Why was that?" Aelita asked.

"Apparently, James used to be in Team Rocket," she replied, "but he was fired for his ineptitude and was ordered to be recaptured for his 'punishment'."

"I dread to think what that would entail," I said, shuddering.

"James was a very kind and brave person," she went on. "He was only here for a day, but he treated the other Trainer's Pokémon very well, and treated his own Pokémon well, not like Goddard at all, or even any other Team Rocket agent I've heard of. It's almost like he didn't belong there at all."

"Huh," I said to myself. "That's interesting. Any idea where he might be?"

"He said he was looking for that Ash boy I mentioned before," Nurse Joy replied, "and I told him that he was heading to Veilstone City to obtain his third Gym Badge there."

"Veilstone City, huh?" I stated, getting out my Town Map. I looked up Veilstone City and created a quick navigation route between here and there. "It looks like it's a two-day-long walk from here to Solaceon Town, and then another two days to get to Veilstone City."

"Are you going to go look for James?" Nurse Joy asked.

"Well, he seems like a misunderstood guy," I said, "and I'd like to hear his story. I'm sure he has quite the one to tell."

"Plus we do want to meet this Ash kid," Aelita added. "He sounds like the good kind of Trainer we could learn a thing or two from."

"Well, good luck with that," Nurse Joy smiled, "and please tell him thanks again for his work and his heroism!"

"Will do!" we nodded.

(-o-)

As the sun fell over the twin peaks of Mt. Coronet in the distance, Nurse Joy announced to Aelita that Turtwig was completely healed back to perfect health. We thanked Nurse Joy for her help, and then bunked in a small room at the Pokémon Center for the night. After a nice continental breakfast the next morning, we went on our way to Solaceon Town, which would lead us to Veilstone City. During that time, we took a few breaks and had a few practice battles to test our strength. Judah and I knew that Judah was far stronger than Aelita's Turtwig, so we went easy on her. But when the first day was done, Turtwig had grown so strong that Judah did not need to hold himself back any longer.

That night, we camped out under the stars, and Judah told Aelita and I stories about where he grew up. He hails from a place called the Lucario Kingdom, which was where Riolu and Lucario originally came from. It was hidden somewhere in Sinnoh, and a new guardian is appointed to protect the kingdom every year. Judah was chosen to be the next guardian, but he asked to be allowed to explore the world instead. Since a talking Pokémon could open all kinds of doors for them and for others, the lords in charge of the kingdom granted his request. I asked him why he didn't say anything about a king, and he answered me.

Even though the land called itself a kingdom, it did not truly have a proper king. At least, not a human king. The current ruling party was composed of a quintet of noble lords and a trio of Lucario. The people of the kingdom dedicated their lives to discovering the secrets of when Pokémon first came into this world, and preserving peace between Pokémon and mankind, as well as the balance of nature in Sinnoh.

"This place sounds beautiful," Aelita said.

"It is," Judah nodded. "We have lots of space indoors for training, and we're completely surrounded by the natural beauty around us. The rulers of the kingdom are the nicest and most devoutly righteous people you'll ever meet, and the other Pokémon that live there are all super strong as well."

"It sounds like a wonderful place," I said. "I'd like to go there sometime."

"Well, we don't let just anyone in," Judah said, "but I'll see what I can do."

Just then, my watch beeped. I glanced at it, and the time read 10:00 PM.

"Wow, it's that late already?" I chuckled. "Well, time to turn in, I guess."

"Okay, good night," Aelita said, and went inside our tent.

I joined her inside shortly after, and Judah came in last. Aelita and I shared a tent, but we each had our own sleeping bag. I didn't want to put Judah inside his Poké Ball, and the tent was spacious enough for all four of us, including Aelita's Turtwig. Judah laid down between the two of us and Turtwig laid down just above Judah. With the battling we did earlier today, combined with the stew I managed to whip up for dinner, which was well received by all present company, we all fell straight to sleep.

(-o-)

The next day, we all got up at the crack of dawn, had a quick breakfast, and left for Solaceon Town with little to no interruption. There were a few Pokémon Centers along our path, but we paid them little to no mind since we wanted to get to Solaceon Town as soon as possible. We arrived at the city outskirts just before noon, and went to a Pokémon Center for lunch. I thought it was strange that we had yet to encounter any wild Pokémon on our voyage, but I assumed that we would run into some eventually.

While on my way to use the facilities, I saw a 'help wanted' ad for a Pokémon Day Care Center, and one of the strips of paper containing the phone number was torn off, signifying that someone took the offer. I asked Nurse Joy what a Pokémon Day Care Center was. She told me that it's a place where Trainers can leave their Pokémon in the care of other people. It was apparently for people who want to raise a lot of Pokémon, but don't have the space in their team or time to raise them separately. Wanting to learn more about Pokémon, we decided to check it out.

According to Nurse Joy, the Pokémon Day Care was just a minute's walk south from the Pokémon Center. The building was pretty simple in its design: a farmhouse with fences around it, several toys and food bowls scattered around, and a few playpens here and there. There were a bunch of Pokémon in the fenced area, and all of them were playing happily together. Many of them I had never seen before, not even in the books about Pokémon that I read before coming here to Sinnoh.

Eventually, we came to the door, and I knocked on it.

"I'll be right there!" a male voice called out.

A few seconds passed, and the door opened to reveal a man in his early twenties. He had a Pokémon Breeder's apron covering a simple white t-shirt and his blue jeans. His face was rather childish, and his eyes were a vibrant shade of green, which was equally accented by his long and colored lavender hair. He also had a yellow mouse-like Pokémon with red cheeks and a lightning bolt-shaped tail sitting on his shoulder.

"Can I help you two?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah," I said. "We're new Trainers, and we were wondering if we could learn anything about how to raise Pokémon here."

"Well, you've come to the right place!" he said. "Don't just stand there, come in! Come in!"

He ushered us in, and we sat down on a chair near the gate to the backyard. I looked around, and I saw a few Pokémon Breeders tending to and playing with all sorts of Pokémon. I also noticed that there were more rooms for Pokémon indoors than outdoors, and I was confused by this.

"So what exactly do places like this do, mister…?" Aelita began, but stopped when he realized that neither of us knew the man's name.

"The name's James," he said. "And this is a special day care. In addition to tending to Pokémon owned by other Trainers, we also have rescued and taken in orphaned and abandoned Pokémon."

"Abandoned Pokémon?" Aelita gasped.

"Yeah, there are some Trainers who don't raise Pokémon with love and care," James said, frowning. "They only see them as nothing more than tools for battle, or even some kind of fashion statement. Those kinds of Trainers I hate the most. Pokémon are living, breathing, sentient creatures, and they don't deserve to be treated like dirt. Not like this one guy I know, he's a real jerk. He horribly mistreated his Chimchar, and then he abandoned it when he had had enough of its 'bad performance'."

"I agree," I stated, and then something he said clicked inside. "Wait, did you say a Chimchar was abused by its Trainer?"

"Yeah, why?" he asked.

"I heard a story like that," I replied. "I met a guy who Nurse Joy said was a bad Trainer, and had attacked it with his own Pokémon, and refused to care for it in the least."

"Was he a purple-haired jerk named Paul?" James asked.

"That's the guy!" I gasped. "His Magmar roasted Aelita's new Turtwig, and he had the gall to call her pathetic!"

"That sounds just like him," he growled. "Picking on the weak to make himself feel strong."

"I managed to beat him with my Riolu, Judah, though," I stated, and pointed to Judah.

"Well, that's good to know," James said. "I'm Jeremy, by the way."

"And I'm Aelita," Aelita added, smiling.

"Nice to meet you both," he said. "As I said, I'm James and I've worked here for about a week, so I know a lot about this place. If you need anything, just ask."

"Okay," I said, and then gasped. "Wait, your name is James?"

"Yes, it is," James nodded, and raised his eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

"Did you by any chance work at the Pokémon Center in Hearthome City about a month ago?" I asked.

"How did you know?" he gasped.

"We found him!" Aelita gasped in joy.

"We've been looking for you because we heard from Nurse Joy that you were a strong Trainer," I said, "and that you knew another powerful Trainer named Ash Ketchum, who was Paul's tag partner in the Hearthome City Tag Battle Tournament, and is Chimchar's new Trainer!"

"Wait, what?" James asked, now very confused.

"Sorry, we're a little excited," Aelita said. "Do you have a minute, because we have a story to share and a few questions to ask of you."

"Uh, ok," James said, and we walked outside for our talk.

(-o-)

As we played around with the Pokémon at the Day Care, we told James about how we came here from Paris, and that I decided to become a Pokémon Trainer after fighting off Frank James. James was very surprised to hear about a Team Rocket agent trying to capture Judah, and was even more surprised to find out that Judah could speak human. He told us about a similar friend he had, a talking Meowth that he had to leave behind, along with a human friend named Jessie.

As it turned out, James was the son of two billionaires who trained him to 'become a gentleman' with all sorts of mundane lessons, when they really wanted to turn him into a tool to make more money for themselves. To make matters worse, they forced him into an engagement with a girl named Jessebelle at the age of eight, and she followed him everywhere, trying to make him do whatever she wanted. It was too much for him, and he ran away from home. He flunked out of the school he had spent his only money on, joined a bike gang, and eventually joined Team Rocket.

He, Jessie, and Meowth had all been quite successful for a while, until they met Ash, who stopped them at every time they met. At the same time, he grew to admire Ash's strength and his determination, which inspired him to become a better Trainer himself. He also told us a sad story about how he and Jessie had to say goodbye to their Arbok and Weezing in order to save a pack of Ekans and Koffing from an evil Pokémon hunter. But that tale ended on a good note, since he met his Cacnea, which became one of his best friends.

But more misery was yet to come. After he had let his Chimecho stay at his grandparents' home to rest, which also got him his Mime Jr., he had given up Cacnea so that it could learn how to use Drain Punch from the Eterna City Gym Leader, Gardenia. The very next day, he received a notice that he was fired from Team Rocket, and that they would send agents to kidnap him and take his Pokémon to pay his bills.

Although we did not like the fact that he was with a bunch of criminals like Team Rocket, he seemed truly remorseful for his actions, and had no desire to be part of it ever again. We were further confounded by his new desire to eliminate Team Rocket forever once he got enough Pokémon to fight at his side. He mentioned all of his moral dilemmas, and said that, even though it was almost all bad, he wouldn't change a thing since he had met all of his only friends by doing so.

"I only wish this had happened sooner so I wouldn't feel so terrible about everything," he said, slumping.

"Well, sometimes good things can come from bad things," I stated.

"Yeah, I'm sure your friends are going to be okay," Aelita said. "And I'm sure that, if you explain it, Ash will forgive you."

"But how can I forgive myself?" James asked. "I've done the wrong thing all my life, and just now I decide to do what's right. How can I erase almost 14 years of being the bad guy?"

"Well," I began, "are you really sorry for your sins? Have you asked God for forgiveness?"

James nodded. "I've asked a hundred times the past day alone."

I stood up and place my hand on his shoulder. "Then He has forgiven you a hundred times on that day."

James looked up, and I smiled at him, causing him to smile as well. "I haven't talked to Him in a long time, and I know He's not proud of what I did."

"But He never stopped loving you," Aelita said, "and He still does."

"You didn't tell me you were Christians, Jeremy," Judah said.

"Actually, we're Catholic," I clarified. "France has a history of strong Catholicism, and my family has always been part of it. I may be a scientist, but I don't believe we were without a Creator. Even Pokémon were created and loved by God."

"You think that God created the Pokémon?" James asked. "I always thought it was the legendary Pokémon Arceus that created the Pokémon."

"Well, most researchers say that to disprove God's existence," I said, "but you're not wrong. I believe that God created Arceus, who created most of the Pokémon that exist today, before He created man but after He created the other animals."

"We were taught the same thing in our home!" Judah said. "It was told by Arceus himself to the great hero Sir Aaron long ago!"

"Heh, small world," I chuckled.

"You guys are really nice," James said. "Thank you for getting to know me for who I am."

"Everyone has a story, James," Aelita said, "and someone will listen, if you give them a chance."

"Speaking of which, do you mind showing us the Pokémon around here?" I asked.

"Not at all!" James shook his head, and showed us around.

There were all kinds of Pokémon there, and many of them took a liking to us, since we were new faces. James explained that Trainers often came here seeking to adopt some of the orphaned and abandoned Pokémon to train themselves. Three of the Pokémon there caught Aelita's and my interest. One was a small yellow fox-like Pokémon that was always sleeping, another was a white Pokémon about as tall as Judah with green hair and two red horns, and the last one was a large white ball of a Pokémon with stubby legs and yellow eyes.

The yellow one was called Abra, and it did sleep for 18 hours to keep its psychic powers sharp. It was found in a forest with no parents or anyone else with it. The small white Pokémon was a Kirlia, and it was also Psychic, but much less powerful than Abra. It also was able to sense the feelings from within a Trainer's heart, and reacted strongly with Aelita. It ran away from its Trainer since it sensed only hostility and rage, as showed when he soon had his license revoked for mistreating his other Pokémon. One of which was the larger white Pokémon, which was a Dragon-Type Pokémon named Shelgon, and it was abandoned because the Trainer didn't want to work for it to evolve into Salamence.

Even though they had a lot happen to them, they were still very nice and friendly towards humans. Aelita and I enjoyed spending time with them, and we ended up spending the whole day at the Day Care, even volunteering as Breeder Helpers for the day.

"Did you know that I saved Pikachutwo here from a pack of Primeape?" James asked as he fed said Mouse Pokémon.

"Nurse Joy told us about it, yes," Aelita said. "But we'd like to hear it from you."

James was about to speak, when suddenly a loud noise was heard above our heads, and the ground shook from under us, startling the Breeders and the Pokémon.

"What was that?!" Aelita gasped.

"Let's check outside!" James said, and we dashed outside the front door.

We looked around everywhere, but didn't find a thing. Judah closed his eyes and began searching the aura around the place. He then gasped, and looked up.

"Hey, look over there!" Judah pointed at the sky.

We looked up, and saw a massive craft fly above our heads, easily half the size of the factory back home. What was so truly startling was that this ship appeared out of nowhere, and landed just a few feet away from us with a surprisingly delicate and fast landing. Just then, several armored cars rolled out of the ship, and each one headed right for the center. James took one look at them and gasped, his face contorted in fear.

"Get inside!" he barked. "Someone round up the Pokémon! They're coming for them!"

Before anyone could ask what he was saying, an explosion tore the roof off of the Day Care Center, and a massive Dragon Pokémon flew above our heads. Riding on it was a woman about a decade or so older than James, and with a long crimson jacket. She also had a weird device attached to her right arm, which I could tell from the shape of it meant trouble.

"All of you get out of my way," she said, "or you'll regret it."

"Pokémon Hunter J," James said.

"That's the Pokémon Hunter J you told us about?" I gasped.

"That's her," he said, "and she's here for the rarest Pokémon this place has for her to steal."

"Well, that's not gonna happen!" I said, and dialed for the Police. "Officer Jenny, Hunter J is at the Solaceon Town Pokémon Day Care! She is armed and dangerous! Repeat, Hunter J is at the Solaceon Day Care, armed and dangerous!"

Just as the words left my mouth, a bunch of J's henchmen emerged from two of the vehicles and sent a swarm of bat-like Pokémon at us. I whipped out my Pokédex for more info.

"_Golbat, the Bat Pokémon,_" the screen read, "_and the evolved form of Zubat. Being nocturnal, Golbat fly around at night in search of prey._"

"Use Air Cutter!" the man in charge ordered.

At least twenty Golbat all fired streams of solidified air at the building, causing it massive damage and sending the Breeders and Pokémon running in a panic. Aelita, James, and I stood our ground and prepared for our counterattack.

"Pikachutwo, use Discharge!" James cried, and his Mouse Pokémon fired multiple lightning bolts that fried all of the enemy Golbat.

"What power!" Judah gasped.

"A Riolu that can speak like a person?" J gasped. "That's worth at least its weight in gold!"

"Yeah, like you'll get your hands on Judah!" I snapped.

"It's not just your 'Judah' I'm after," she said. "I'm after any rare Pokémon that are here. My new client wants all the rare Pokémon I can get my hands on in a day, so I'm filtering through the trash to find the precious gold."

"So now you're Pokémon Dumpster-Diver J, huh?" James sneered, and then scowled. "I hate any people who regard Pokémon as trash or ways to make money! I'll tell you right now, YOU'LL NEVER GET AWAY WITH THIS!"

"But I already have, don't you see?" she grinned, and we turned to see that the Pokémon had been tied up with strings and the Breeders were also tied up and helpless to stop the poachers. I took another look behind us, and noticed that there was a large spider Pokémon from which it was making the threads. I quickly realized that she must have done all of this while we were preoccupied with her. I quickly took out my Pokédex for more info.

"_Ariados, the Long Leg Pokémon,_" the screen read. "_It spins silk from its mouth, which is as strong as a rope, and uses it to reach places it could not normally reach by crawling across it like a tightrope._"

"That's a Bug/Poison-Type Pokémon!" James said. "We need Flying, Fire, and Psychic-Type Pokémon to deal a lot of damage to it!"

No sooner had he spoken than a stream of fire hit the Ariados, which was then swept up into the air and hurled back to the ground with a massive amount of psychic energy. We all turned around, and saw the Abra, Kirlia, and Shelgon from before standing in a battle pose with a bird Pokémon that looked like a cross between a pigeon and a hawk. Once again, I consulted my Pokédex.

"_Pidgeotto, the Bird Pokémon,_" the screen read, "_and the evolved form of Pidgey. It can see its prey as it flies high above it. It attacks its prey with sharp talons and blinding speed._"

"Wow, what a bird!" I said.

"They must have come out to help us!" Aelita said.

"Too bad for them," J said, and threw out a Poké Ball. The Pokémon that came out was a huge, hulking, purple creature with four short legs, sharp pincers for its hands and on its long tail, an evil expression.

"That's Hunter J's Drapion!" James said. "It's called the Ogre Scorp Pokémon! It can turn a huge truck into a pile of scrap metal with its powerful claws, and it's a Poison/Dark-Type! They're lethal to Psychic-Type Pokémon, and the only things that would work are Fighting-Type moves and Bug-Type moves!"

"Well, you've got a Fighting-Type right here!" I said, and Judah nodded. "Judah, use Aura Sphere!"

Judah fired a blue ball of energy at Drapion, which scored a direct hit at its head. But it did not do much damage, as it easily shook it off.

"Marvelous!" J said. "It can use Aura Sphere too! There's no doubt I will make a fortune with that!"

"Like heck you will!" I growled. "Judah, Aura Sphere again!"

Judah fired again, but Drapion grabbed with its claws, shattering it upon impact. Judah and I gasped.

"That's impossible!" Judah said. "An Aura Sphere can't be destroyed like that!"

"I said it before," J said. "You're out of your league. Now stand aside."

Just then, Drapion hollered in pain as a thousand needles struck it from behind. We were all taken aback, and looked over J to see a small cactus Pokémon run in our direction, accompanied by a brown-haired bowl-headed girl about Aelita's age in a long-sleeved black belly shirt with a green mantle over it.

"Gardenia and Cacnea!" James gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"No time to explain!" Gardenia said. "Cacnea, use Drain Punch!"

Cacnea lunged at Drapion, and its fist became encased in a green aura like Judah's Drain Punch. It then struck Drapion's back head-on, and it fell to the ground.

"No!" J growled.

"Cacnea!" James squealed with delight as he rushed over and embraced his old comrade. "You learned how to use Drain Punch!"

"I came here to tell you the good news," Gardenia said, walking over to James, "but when I saw what was happening, I decided to help you out."

"Too bad you can't help yourself!" J shouted as Drapion got up. "Drapion, Cross Poison on Cacnea!"

Drapion crossed its arms and an X-shaped poison ray shot at Cacnea, but James pushed it out of the way, taking the attack himself. The force sent him spiraling backwards, and he crashed through a window and into a tree, now likely in extreme pain. He struggled to get to his feet, but he collapsed to the ground, and a stream of dark red liquid trickled out of the corner of his mouth.

"Dear God," Aelita gasped.

"James!" I gasped.

Gardenia, Cacnea, and the rest of the Breeders and Pokémon would only watch in horror at what they had just seen. But suddenly, I heard an ear-splitting screech. I looked at Cacnea, and noticed that where once it had an expression of shock and horror, it now had a face of blind, unrelenting fury. It then raced at Drapion, but Drapion was readying its pincers. However, Cacnea suddenly jumped up at Drapion and punched it hard in the face, causing it to crumble quickly.

"What was that?" I gasped.

"That was Sucker Punch!" Judah gasped. "Cacnea has learned a new move!"

Behind us, James had finally gotten to his feet and smiled at Cacnea. It nodded, and then prepared to strike Drapion again. I knew that Sucker Punch did not do much against Drapion, since it was a Dark-Type, but when Cacnea's arm began to glow green, I knew it did not intend to use Sucker Punch, but Drain Punch. Drapion fired its Poison Sting, but Cacnea took it head-on, not even flinching. When it reached Drapion, it punched him so hard in its face that it literally knocked its head around, and sent it spiraling away into a tree. Its head then went back to normal, and it slumped to the ground, knocked out. I also noticed that Cacnea's injuries were fully healed as a result of its Drain Punch.

"Impossible!" J scowled. "No one can defeat my Drapion!"

"Well," James grinned weakly, "it looks like Cacnea just did!"

Cacnea cried triumphantly, and that was when something amazing happened.

Instantly, its body became enveloped in a white glow, obscuring it from view. I had no clue what was happening, but James smiled widely and looked like he was going to cry tears of joy. I took another look at Cacnea, and then saw what the fuss was about. Its body began to grow taller, stronger, and began to warp and fade between its old body and a new one. The stubby spikes that were its legs grew longer and thicker, and the flower on its head changed into a huge spike that looked like a hat. Its barrel-like body also became less rounded and more like a person. After a while, the glow faded and the transformation was complete. Where Cacnea once stood, now there stood an entirely new Pokémon.

"Cacturne!" it cried, flexing its newly grown arms and throwing a punch in victory.

"Cacnea evolved into Cacturne!" Judah said, excited.

"That's what Pokémon evolution looks like?" I asked.

"It's amazing!" James cheered, and embraced his newly evolved partner, who returned the hug. "Wow! It doesn't even hurt when he does this! This is the best day ever!"

"Well, it won't be for long!" J growled. "Salamence, use Hyper Beam!"

A ray of raw energy began to build up inside Salamence's maw, and it aimed it at all of us, including the other Breeders.

"Follow it up with Signal Beam, Ariados!" J added. "Don't let any one of those people live Destroy them all! Leave no trace left behind! Protect the investment, but destroy everything else!"

"What?!" I gasped. Was J actually going to use Pokémon to murder humans in cold blood and in broad daylight?

Just then, a stream of red energy and a wave of psychic power shot at Salamence, and it and J fell from the sky. Also, a multicolored beam fired at Ariados, along with another whirlwind, and sent it flying back as well. I looked back, and the Shelgon and Abra from before had gotten in front of Judah and I in order to protect us. The Ralts and Pidgeotto from before also got in front of Aelita.

"You saved us," I said, breathlessly. "Thank you."

The Abra said something, and I looked to Judah for a translation.

"He said that we're the ones who should be thanking you," Judah interpreted. "'You played with us all day and saved us from that evil hunter. Now we want to help you. Let us battle with you.'"

"You want to battle J with us?" I asked the Abra, and it nodded. Aelita confirmed this with the Pokémon that were guarding her as well. I nodded, and then scanned the Pokémon with my Pokédex to discover what moves they knew. I was astonished to find out what was revealed to me.

"Aelita!" I shouted. "Kirlia knows Psychic, Water Pulse, and Shock Wave! Pidgeotto knows Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Twister, and Whirlwind! Abra knows Focus Blast, Psychic, and Shadow Ball! Shelgon knows Protect, Dragon Breath, Flamethrower, and Zen Headbutt!"

"Then let's use these moves and take her down!" James said, and Pikachutwo jumped off James' shoulder and landed on all fours, poised for battle.

"Salamence, Flamethrower!" J cried. "Ariados, Night Shade!"

A stream of flames came from Salamence's mouth, and twin beams of dark energy shot from Ariados' eyes, all of them aimed at us. However, we were ready.

"Abra, use Shadow Ball!" I cried. "Shelgon, use Dragon Breath! Judah, use Aura Sphere!"

"Turtwig, Razor Leaf!" Aelita added. "Kirlia, use Shock Wave! Pidgeotto, use Wing Attack!"

"Pikachutwo, use Thunderbolt!" James cried, and threw another Poké Ball into the fray. "Cacturne, use Pin Missile! Carnivine, use Bullet Seed!"

A huge flytrap Pokémon came out and fired multiple seeds at the enemy line, along with all of our other Pokémon's attacks. The force of our combined power met the opposing line of fire with seemingly equal energy, but our line broke through and damaged Salamence and Ariados greatly. Ariados was knocked out, but Salamence still had some fight left in it.

"Does anyone know any Ice-Type moves?" James asked, but we all shook our heads.

"I kinda wish I started out with Piplup now," Aelita stated.

"No time for second guessing!" I said. "Just hit it with all we got! Judah, Aura Sphere! Abra, Psychic! Shelgon, Dragon Breath!"

"Fine by me!" Aelita said. "Turtwig, Bullet Seed! Kirlia, Psychic! Pidgeotto, Twister!"

"That's how I roll, too!" James added. "Canturne, Pin Missile! Carnivine, Bullet Seed again!" He then took out another Poké Ball. "Zubat, use Air Cutter!" A pale blue, eyeless bat Pokémon appeared and shot a stream of solidified air from its mouth, and joined with all of our attacks to strike at J and her Salamence. A huge cloud of smoke emerged, and we could see nothing for a while. Soon enough, the dust cleared, and we could see that J's Salamence had fallen to the ground, down and out for the count.

For a while, none of us could speak. Even J and her henchmen were too shocked to move. However, I soon heard the faint sound of police sirens in the distance. This was enough to snap J and her men out of their trance, and J recalled her Pokémon and jumped into one of the cars.

"If I see you again," she said before the door closed, "it will be the last day that you live on this earth."

With that, the car jumped into the ship, which promptly took off just as the police arrived. They tried shooting it down with their Pokémon, but the shields were too strong. Eventually, it cloaked itself in its optic camouflage and flew off. I hissed in defeat at not being able to capture her, but I sighed with relief that the Pokémon were safe and sound.

"Sorry, Officer Jenny," I said to the Jenny in charge.

"We let Hunter J get away," Aelita sighed.

"Well, it looks like there weren't any Pokémon stolen," Jenny noted, smiling. "For that, I thank you both."

"We did manage to knock out her Pokémon," I noted. "I can imagine she won't be showing up for quite some time."

"That may be true," Jenny nodded, and then noticed James. "Excuse me, do you work here?"

"Uh, yes, ma'am," he said, rather shakily.

"Do you know who runs this place?" she asked. "I need to ask him a few questions, and you as well."

"Well, I just started working here today," he said. "I'm a volunteer here, and I don't know much about what happened. All I know is that these kids stopped Hunter J and then she ran away without stealing any Pokémon." He then started to rock back and forth in a fetal position. "That's all I know, I swear. I just need to get home. The Day-Care Manager is in the back, he should be coming out here any second."

"Okay," Officer Jenny waved. "I'll ask him about it, you go on and get out of here. This may get ugly."

As Officer Jenny left, I saw James spring back up and sigh.

"I guess I got some acting talent form Jessie after all," he grinned.

"You lied to a police officer?" I gasped.

"Well, I did tell her all that I knew," he said, "but I did lie about going home. I don't want to go back there any time soon, and I want to find Ash."

"So what do you want to ask him?" I asked.

"I want him to join me in taking down Team Rocket," James stated bluntly, and yet firmly

"Do you think he's going to help you after all that you did to him?" I asked, confirming his motives.

"You asked me this before," James said, "and my answer is yes. He's not a total brat, like I'm not a total crook."

"Well, I think we should come along too," Aelita said. "We've seen what the good you can do, and we can vouch for you if he or his friends don't believe you."

"Thanks for the help," James smiled, and then turned to Gardenia. "I also should thank you. Without you, we never would have stopped J."

"Think nothing of it!" she shook her head. "Cacnea's your Pokémon, not mine. Training him right is your responsibility as a Trainer. I can only go so far for him, but you have to go the real distance. You have it in you, so you can do it."

James' eyes widened, and then hardened in resolve. "You're right. I am Cancea's Trainer, and I've the potential to become a great Pokémon Trainer. I always thought I'm nothing special, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I'll build up an army with my new friends, and then I'll win the respect I deserve through honest hard work!"

"That's what I like to hear!" I cheered.

"Well, Id' better head back to the Gym," Gardenia said, and then left. "Good luck, James! And tell Ash and friends that I said hi!"

"Will do!" James called, and then turned back to us. "Okay, I'm ready to hit the road."

"But what about your job?" Aelita asked.

"I'll soon have an even better one," he said. "I'll be helping Ash save the world!"

Just then, the Pokémon that helped us came up to us.

"Thanks for helping us out of that jam," I smiled, and then three amazing things happened.

First off, the Abra opened its eyes and gave me a hug, laughing. The Shelgon also tackled me to the ground and jumped at me affectionately. Secondly, the Pidgeotto roosted on Aelita's shoulder and the Kirlia danced to Aelita and hugged her as well. Finally, a Breeder lady who had helped us care for these Pokémon came out of the center and gave us each two Poké Balls.

"They want to go with you," she said. "They've seen how kind you are, and they want to become stronger with you."

"Are you sure it's all right?" I asked, unsure of whether or not to take them.

"This is why we run this place," she nodded. "They need a new life, and they found one with you two."

Aelita and I looked at the Pokémon, and smiled, taking the Poké Balls.

"Well then," I said, "welcome to the team!"

We each tapped one Poké Ball to one Pokémon, and all four rang out as we registered them. Both of my new Pokémon showed as male, and both of Aelita's showed to be female.

"A new life deserves new names, don't you think?" I asked Aelita, and she nodded as we brought out our new team.

"I'll call you Marvin," I said to the Abra, and then pointed to Shelgon, saying, "and you're now Draco!"

"Your new name is Matilda," Aelita said to Kirlia, and then to Pidgeotto, she said, "and you're Mabel!"

All four Pokémon cheered at their new names, but Marvin gasped suddenly as he began to glow just like Cacnea did moment before.

"Is Marvin…?" I gasped.

"He's starting to evolve!" Aelita gasped.

Sure enough, Marvin's body grew taller, his tail grew thicker, and his head grew bigger as he evolved into a new Pokémon. When the glow faded, a tall fox Pokémon in gold armor holding a spoon like a wand was shown.

"Marvin evolved into Kadabra!" James stated. "It emits alpha waves that can confuse machines, and while its physical strength is less than mediocre, its psychic powers are second to none."

"Wow!" I smiled. "That's amazing!"

Matilda hugged Marvin, and he shrugged, blushing. Aelita and I saw this and smiled ourselves.

"It looks like your new Pokémon now like each other as much as you!" James noted.

"Well, it's time to meet someone who really knows how to raise Pokémon with love," I said as I recalled my Pokémon and dashed off down the road. "It's time to head to Solaceon Town! We don't want to miss Ash, do we?"

At this, Aelita and James recalled their Pokémon, and we all headed down the road, on our way to meet Ash Ketchum, and for James to prove himself a new man to him. Lots of adventures waited in store for us, but with our new companions on our side, we were ready for just about anything.

* * *

**A/N: In case you wondered, there is now a reason to include God in my canon. He was supposed to be in the real show. According to the novel by former chief Pokémon show writer Takeshi Shudo (R.I.P.):**

**"God created this world in a week. Then God 'doodled' some extra animals in the seventh day. Those animals were born on holiday, and they weren't ordered to 'be ruled by humans' or 'rule humans'. They are Pokémon."**

**So there. God is in because God was meant to be in. I actually like it this way, not because I'm Catholic, but it gives a purpose to everything.**

**Also, I may not be writing for a while due to school, but please read and review! I love seeing what you think about my stories!**

**NOW IT'S OVER 10,000! THE ACTION CONTINUES NEXT CHAPTER, AND IT MAY BE EVEN LONGER!**

**-JeremyX signing off!**


	4. A New Hero is Born

**A/N: I LIIIIIIVE! (Somewhat.)**

**I wanted to update this for a LONG time, but things got in the way and I have an unfortunately small attention span.**

**Anyway, here is chapter 4! I hope this will satisfy you (and me) until I can write up the next Chapters!**

**Pokémon (C) Pokémon, Nintendo, GAME FREAK, Creatures**

**Code Lyoko (C) 2002-2014 MoonScoop, France 3**

**This author owns nothing here. Please support the official release.**

* * *

Chapter 4: A New Hero is Born

* One Week Ago*

_Ash Ketchum and his friends were taking a break at a Pokémon Center on their way to Solaceon Town and Dawn's next Pokémon Contest. Earlier that day, at the request of Dawn's friend and Contest rival Zoey, Ash and Dawn traded their Aipom and Buizel respectively to each other. Ash was now partnered with Buizel, whom Ash felt would help him win his next Gym Battle at Veilstone City, and Dawn now had Aipom, which gave Dawn the confidence to enter her into the Solaceon Town Pokémon Contest. The trade occurred after a practice battle Ash had with Buizel and Dawn practicing Contest Battles with Aipom. Ash, Dawn, Brock, and Zoey noticed how well Buizel did in battling and how well Aipom did in performing. This reaction is what prompted the two trainers to make the trade._

_Right now, Ash and Dawn were taking a break from their training and having a nice dinner, which had been prepared by Brock, in the Pokémon Center. Brock was just about to get started on the dishes when he saw something on the television news that caught his eye._

"_Hey guys!" he called his friends over. "Check this out!"_

"_What's up, Brock?" Ash asked, and Brock pointed at the TV._

"_We bring you our top story for the day," a news reporter said. "Earlier today, the Hearthome City Pokémon Center was attacked by a vicious and ruthless man who police identified as Goddard Roberto, a known agent of the nefarious Team Rocket, a crime syndicate that operates normally in the Kanto and Johto regions."_

"_The Pokémon Center in Hearthome City was attacked by Team Rocket!?" Ash gasped._

"_That's terrible!" Dawn said, shocked._

"_Fortunately," the reporter continued, "no one was hurt and nothing was stolen. Hearthome City's Nurse Joy had these comments when interviewed on the scene."_

_The scene now showed a recording of Nurse Joy talking into a microphone from the Pokémon Center._

"_We were lucky for that guy who was working here," Nurse Joy said. "Goddard said that he was looking for someone, and started hurting a little girl with his Pokémon when he didn't find him."_

"_How awful!" Dawn gasped._

"_We had someone who was working here for the day," Nurse Joy continued, "and he let himself be captured by Goddard. But the man and his Pikachu beat Goddard and saved the Pokémon Center."_

"_A Pikachu?" Ash gasped, clearly intrigued. Pikachu were a pretty rare sight in Sinnoh._

"_When asked about the man," the reporter said, "she identified him as simply 'James'." Just then, a picture of a man with neck length lavender hair and green eyes with a Pikachu on his shoulder was put into view. "Here is an artist's rendition of what the man looks like, according to eyewitness accounts."_

"_Hey, is that…?" Dawn started._

"_He looks like…" Ash added._

"_It can't be!" Brock gasped._

_Then they all gasped in unison: "James!?"_

*The Current Day*

After the fiasco at the Day-Care Center, Aelita and I made it back to Hearthome City by the end of the day, along with our new companion, James. We made it to the Pokémon Center before noon, and Nurse Joy was able to heal all of our Pokémon. However, we would have to wait a while since there were many Pokémon that needed to be healed this time. Although none of our Pokémon were seriously hurt, they were quite tired from the battle with J, and needed the rest. Judah, however, was well rested already and was able to leave care early.

In the meantime, we were having a nice lunch in the Pokémon Center cafeteria, and James was wolfing down his helping even faster than I've seen before.

"He eats almost exactly like Odd," Aelita noted.

"Yeah, he kinda does," I nodded.

"Hrm?" James grunted, and then swallowed. "What's odd?"

"Not what, who," I corrected him, "Odd Della Robia is one of my best friends from back home in France. He's very hyper, rather clumsy, extremely rash and headstrong, and he eats like a pig."

"But he has a great sense of humor," Aelita added, "and he's always a guy to turn to if you're feeling down. He's also honest and reliable, even if he isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer."

"Sounds like a great kind of guy," James chuckled.

"Excuse me," Nurse Joy said, coming up to our table, "but I should tell you that all of your Pokémon are feeling great and are now back to perfect health!"

"That's great!" James said as our Poké Balls were brought to us.

"Thanks a bunch, Nurse Joy!" Aelita smiled.

"Indeed," I nodded. "So, Nurse Joy, is there any place of great value in Solaceon Town? I'd like to see some sights before we head off to Veilstone City."

"Well, there are the Solaceon Ruins," she stated, and then pointed to a location on a wall map of the town. "It's just a few minutes north from here just at the outskirts of town. It's a tall ziggurat with statues of the legendary Pokémon Dialga and Palkia, so you can't miss it too easily."

"Legendary Pokémon?" I asked.

"There's a legend in Sinnoh," James explained. "Dialga and Palkia are said to have power over time and space respectively and watch over the Sinnoh region."

"Those two Pokémon can control time and space!?" I gasped.

"It's believed that they were involved in the creation of the Sinnoh region," James added, "which gives the reason as to why they watch over this region above all else, in addition to the whole of space and time."

"That's amazing to think about," Aelita said, amazed.

"That's what we've been taught our whole lives," Judah nodded. "I still have trouble believing it myself."

"Say, how old are you?" Jeremy asked. "I wonder if Pokémon even have ages."

"Oh, Pokémon age at the same time as you humans do," Judah nodded, "But some Pokémon have longer live spans than others do. Some even can outlive humans themselves. I've been around for about twelve years, I do believe."

"Wow," I whistled, "you've been around almost for as long as we have. We're both fifteen, you see."

"Oh, ok," Judah said, and looked at Aelita. "You both seem like normal kids, but you seem much older."

"Well, there's a long story behind that," Aelita stated, "but I'd rather not get into that."

"If you say so," Judah shrugged. "So are we going to go see the ruins?"

"Well, I don't see why not," I said, getting up. "Are you all ready to go?"

Aelita and James nodded, as did Judah, and we headed off, thanking Nurse Joy once again.

(-o-)

Like Nurse Joy said, it took only a minute to get to the Solaceon Ruins, which were on the far northwest side of town. The twin statues of Dialga and Palkia were right outside the gateway to the ruins, and even thought they were statues, the two Pokémon looked very large and very powerful. While en route to the ruins, James had also mentioned that the people of Sinnoh worshiped Dialga and Palkia as gods a long time ago.

By the time we got there, we noticed two groups of people at the ruins. One was a group of kids having a battle by the statues of Dialga and Palkia. The other was a group of strangely dressed people going into another side of the ruins.

"It's them!" James gasped, and pointed.

"Who's them?" Aelita asked.

"Those kids at the ruins; they're the twerps… I mean Ash and his friends!" James said, and then pointed at the other group. "And there's Team Galactic!"

"Team Galactic?" I asked, not knowing who they were.

"Didn't I tell you?" James asked. "I told you that they hired Jessie, Meowth, and I to steal the Adamant Orb form the Eterna City Historical Museum!"

"That's right!" I snapped my fingers. "Well, do we go after them or do we go meet Ash and friends?"

"Team Galactic comes first!" James said, running off. "I don't know what they're planning, but it can't be good!"

Aelita, Judah, and I looked at each other and shrugged before following James, trying not to attract the attention of Team Galactic. We followed them down a flight of stairs and into a maze of tunnels. It was quite dark, but one of the Team Galactic members, whom James identified as Saturn, called out a Pokémon called Bronzor that used a move called Flash which lit up the hallways.

After a few minutes of silently trailing them, they entered a room with strange markings on the walls. They looked like letters, but all of them had an eye on them. The three members placed three strange stone tablets into niches on the ground, and a strange light flowed between them. Suddenly, a strange floating cube hovered up to Saturn from the ground. To further confuse us, the writing on the walls literally jumped off the walls, and I realized that these were not markings, but living creatures. Just then, I wondered if they were Pokémon, and I took out my Pokédex for more info.

"_Unown, the Symbol Pokémon,_" the screen read. "_Unown use telepathy to communicate with each other. A total of 28 different shapes of Unown have been discovered._"

"So they are Pokémon," I said to myself silently, but apparently not silently enough.

"I know you're there," Saturn said. "It's not polite to sneak up on people."

Gasping, we nervously ventured out into view.

"Busted!" James whimpered.

"I do remember you," Saturn said, pointing at James, "but who are you two?"

"I'm Jeremy," I stated boldly, "and Aelita and I are not going to let you steal ancient artifacts with no consequences!"

"This isn't stealing," Saturn wagged his finer, taking the cube in his hands. "This is acquiring a necessary tool to build our perfect world!"

Just then, the Unown attacked him, intending to take the cube back. However, Saturn had other ideas.

"Bronzor, use Confuse Ray!" he said. "Once that's done, use Teleport to get us out of here!"

Bronzor fired red rays at the Unown, and then it, along with Saturn and his grunts, vanished completely. Now we were faced with an army of red-eyed Unown that looked very angry. They gave a loud cry and then the entire place shook with a great force. I could hear screams coming from outside the ruins, and I could see that James and Aelita had heard it as well.

"I'd know those screams anywhere!" James said. "That's Ash and his friends!"

"They must have become trapped in here by the Unown!" I gasped.

"We've got to get them out of here!" Aelita said.

"First we've gotta take care of these Unown!" Judah added.

With that, he fired off a few Aura Spheres at the Unown. However, it did not seem to do much, as they only looked angrier and fried off red beams of energy, forcing us to run for cover. As we got around another corner, we could see that there was an eerie red mist that spread throughout the entire ruins, and I could hear eerie chanting and humming all around us. James suddenly whimpered, and I turned around to see him pointing at the wall with a terrified expression on his face.

"The…the w-wall…" he stuttered, shaking, "it-it's moving by itself! It's tw-twisting and s-s-spiraling!"

I was unnerved by this phenomenon, but I held my ground.

"If we panic now," I said, "then we'll never get out of here. We need to keep a level head."

"And besides," Aelita added, "we need to be brave for our Pokémon, and keep calm for their sake. If we're calm, they're calm. But if we panic, then they'll panic too."

"She's got a point," Judah nodded. "I've seen stranger things in my short life, and I'm pretty calm under certain levels of stress."

James sighed and took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm calm now. Thanks for that."

"No problem," I grinned.

Just then, some of the Unown that were chasing us came around the bend. But before Judah or any of us could react, James threw one of his Poké Balls out first.

"Zubat, use Astonish!" James cried, and his small Bat Pokémon let out a cry of shock that stopped the Unown in their tracks. Just then, the red in their eyes faded away. When it did, the Unown went away, and so did the red mist. I could see some more down the hallway, and I headed off towards it.

"The Unown must have created that illusion to freak us out!" I deduced. "And Bronzor's Confuse Ray has caused the Unown to go into a frenzy and blame us for the theft!"

"Well, I'm not scared anymore!" James huffed. "We've got to stay calm and ourselves out of here!"

Just then, more Unown came after us from the mist, and fired the same red beams at us.

"Zubat, use Astonish again!" James cried, and his Bat Pokémon let out another cry that stopped the Unown and snapped them out of their confusion. Once more, this group left us and took more of the red mist with them.

This became a bit of a cycle for the next few minutes, encountering Unown and battling them to snap them out of their confusion and return the ruins to normal. I began to wonder if our troubles would ever end, as the illusion made it seem like the inside was endlessly immense, with stairs and tunnels leading this way and that in the most confusing and honestly terrifying ways that never should have even been remotely possible. However, once we cleared away the sixth group of Unown, we heard a sound that we never thought we'd hear.

"We've got to get out of here!" a girl's voice rang out.

"Did you hear that?" James gasped. "That sounds like one of those kids!"

"Really?" I asked. "Where is it coming from?"

Just then, the answer ran in front of us in the form of a purple monkey Pokémon that nearly slammed into us until it stopped itself by braking with its hand-like tail. A young girl with blue hair held in a white ski cap ran up to the Pokémon, who was also followed by a small blue penguin Pokémon.

"Aipom, don't run so fast," the girl said, and the Pokémon nodded.

"Are you all right?" I asked, and the girl looked up.

"Huh?" she gasped. "Who are you!?"

"I'm Jeremy," I replied, and motioned to my friends, "and this is Aelita and Judah."

"Nice to meet you," Aelita smiled, and Judah nodded.

"Oh, nice to meet you too, my name's Dawn," the girl said, relieved. "How did you get in here?"

"It's a long story," I said, and then noticed that James was not present. "Where'd he go?"

"Where'd who go?" Dawn asked.

My last words were lost as I heard the sound of explosions. The man in question was right behind us and battling more Unown who were closing in on us. This time, he had called out Cacturne, who was using Pin Missile on the Symbol Pokémon. His plan worked, as the Unown's confusion wore off and the red mist vanished, along with the Unown themselves.

"Sorry about that," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I felt them sneak up on us, so I had to do something."

Dawn gasped. "It's you! You're Team Rocket! All right, what are you doing here!?"

Aipom and the penguin Pokémon prepared to attack, but all three of us stopped her.

"Hold on!" James waved his hands in the air. "I come in peace!"

"Yeah, he's with us!" I said, "And he's not a bad guy! The real bad guy is the reason for this whole mess with the Unown!"

"We've been travelling together for a few days," Aelita said. "If you don't believe him, then at least believe us! We tracked a strange man in here and he stole something that caused the Unown to go berserk, and he confused them to attack us!"

Dawn stopped, but still looked skeptical. "What do you think, Piplup?"

The penguin, obviously Piplup, nodded, but still glared at James.

"Fine, you can tag along," Dawn sighed. "But cross me and you'll regret it!"

"I won't!" James said, nodding.

Just then, more Unown flew in at us and the red mist appeared again.

"Quick, Cacturne!" James cried, "Use Pin Missile!"

Cacturne fired more pins, and the Unown snapped out of their confusion and left us. However, one stayed behind and hovered over a line of script on the wall.

"It says it wants you to look at this script, James," Judah said.

"You can talk?!" Dawn gasped. "That's amazing!"

"Can we deal with this later?" Judah groaned. "You can be as excited as you want about how I can talk once we get out of here, okay?"

"Okay, fine," Dawn sighed.

James shrugged, and looked at the script. As soon as he saw the first line, he gasped in shock.

"What is it?" I asked, curious.

"It has my name written here," he said, pointing to the wall, which showed various shapes of Unown written like letters in a series of words.

"It's written in the Unown script," Judah said. "The first line reads, 'James Keegan Morgan'."

"And that's my full name!" James stated.

"It is?" I gasped, surprised.

"But how did it get in a centuries-old ruin like this?" Dawn asked.

"I have no idea!" James said, and then started to read more. "It says something about my name being related to a legendary hero who lived in the time of the Aura Guardians, and was a Guardian himself."

"An Aura Guardian?" Judah gasped, running down the hall. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Um, please don't think I'm an idiot for asking this," I said as we walked down the hall, "but what's an Aura Guardian?"

"They're the people who we grew up with in ancient times," Judah replied. "All living things have the capacity to sense Aura, but only a few can see it like we Riolu and Lucario can. But Aura Guardians are special people who can sense Aura just as well as we Riolu and Lucario can!"

The Unown began leading us down the hall until we got to a dead end, and we saw a large colored mural on the wall. True to our suspicions, the vibrant images depicted a young man which, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was James. The mural had his emerald green eyes, his neck length lavender hair, and many of the Pokémon I had seen him use and heard him mention, including Pikachutwo. He even wore a cloak with a bright red R on the front, which looked exactly like a Team Rocket uniform shirt.

"There's no way this is a coincidence," I said.

"There's no way this is real!" James said.

"But what's that?" Dawn asked, pointing to one of the murals on the left side.

We looked where she pointed, and saw a picture of James when he was just being born. It depicted his family living in what seemed like a splendid castle, but his parents looked like they were cunning and vicious, just like how James told us. Another image showed James and a baby girl in the ancient symbol of Yin and Yang, with James in the Yang and the girl in the Yin. The girl also had an Abra with her, and James had a Pokémon with him that my Pokédex identified as a Puppy Pokémon named Growlithe.

"What is this?" James asked.

"It looks like you and someone else in a Yin-Yang image," I stated.

"Well, Yang is generally a boy," Aelita said, "and Yin is a girl. If you're the Yang, James, that means…"

"There's a Yin for his Yang!" Dawn concluded.

"But what does that mean!?" James asked.

"It means that you have a twin sister!" I said.

"A twin sister?" James gasped, shocked. "But how can that be possible? I'm an only child, my parents told me so!"

"Well, if everything on these paintings have shown to be exactly related to you," I said, "then it stands to reason that there must be something your parents kept from you."

"Not to mention that it has all of your Pokémon here," Aelita added, and pointed to the picture of the Yin Yang symbol. "Do you know this Pokémon with you in the Yang?"

James looked at the picture, and gasped. "That Growlithe looks just like Growlie!"

"The pet Growlithe you told us about?" Aelita gasped.

"Then that's further proof of my claim!" I said.

"Uh, guys?" Judah said, "you may want to look at this. It may explain our problem."

We turned to see what Judah was talking about, and we saw a picture of baby James and the girl, which we assumed for now was his mysterious sister, bound by a red string. Just then, the father of the twins cut the string with a jagged sword and the girl's lavender hair turned jaded green and her dark red eyes became glazed over with a blue hue. The father then left the baby girl in a faraway city, while raising the young James with strict rules and forcing him to obey his will. It then showed him running away from a magenta-haired witch with an Oddish, which I assumed was the Jessebelle that James mentioned in his life story.

"It looks like your parents didn't want you to find out about your sister," I stated.

"But why?" he asked. "What did he have against me having a sister?"

Just then, more Unown flooded the chamber, ready to fire at us again.

"We'll have to save it for another day!" I said. "Judah, use Aura Sphere!"

"Aipom, use Double Hit!" Dawn cried.

Judah's Aura Spheres managed to swat down a few Unown, but Aipom's attack was much more effective. As it struck down all of the Unown, it jumped up into the air and began to glow brightly. James, Aelita, and I knew what was about to happen. Its limbs grew longer and its tail split into two, and as it landed, the glow faded, revealing a new Pokémon.

"Aipom has evolved into Ambipom!" Dawn cheered.

"Ambipom?" I asked, curious as I consulted my Pokédex.

"_Ambipom, the Long Tail Pokémon," _the screen read,_ "is the evolved form of Aipom. It uses its two tails to shell nuts, and then it links them together in a ring as a sign of friendship."_

It did link its tails together in a ring, as the Pokédex said, and smiled widely. Dawn also grinned.

"Ambipom, Double Hit!" Dawn cried.

The newly evolved Pokémon swung its twin tails with great power and speed, and swung its own body around like an acrobat, dodging the attacks from the other Unown. It then launched a series of star-shaped rays that the Pokédex identified as the move Swift. Within seconds, all of the Unown in the area had snapped out of their confusion. They still hovered around, and the red mist remained, but they were unsure as to what to do.

"Dawn, are you in here?" a young boy's voice called out.

"Can you hear us?" an older boy's voice added.

"Ash! Brock!" Dawn called down the hall. "We're all in here!"

Just then, three people and a few Pokémon ran into the room, much to our surprise. One was a young boy about fourteen years of age with black hair in a red baseball cap and a Pikachu on his shoulder. The other was a young redhead boy, about ten years old, with a green mushroom Pokémon following him. The third was a dark-skinned narrow-eyed boy, clearly older than all of them, with a brown vest over a green shirt. Judging by their looks, I assumed that these were Ash, Kenny, and Brock respectively, and were some of the kids that James had told us about.

"Dawn!" Ash cried. "You're here!"

Just then, Piplup started angrily conversing with the Unown. I looked to Judah for a translation, and he nodded.

"Piplup's trying to convince the Unown to let us go," he said.

I nodded, and then stepped forward. "You should know by now that we did not steal that box, right? Well, we'll find the people who did and we'll bring it back for you, but you have to let us go first, okay?"

The Unown looked at each other, and then floated away, and the last of the red mist faded away with them. We could see that this strange room containing the murals was near the end of the ruins, and there was a strong light coming from a doorway to our left. We instinctively ran towards it, and found ourselves back in the sunlight and out of the ruins.

"Man, is it good to be out of there," Ash sighed.

"You can say that again," Dawn nodded.

"Thanks for the help," I said, and Ash noticed us for the first time.

"Huh?" he cocked his eyebrow. "Who are you?"

"We got trapped in the ruins like you did," I said, and waved at Judah and Aelita. "My name is Jeremy, and this is Aelita. The Pokémon you see here is my partner, Judah."

"Nice to meet all of you!" Judah bowed.

"Whoa!" Brock gasped. "That Riolu can talk!?"

"What's a Riolu?" Ash asked, taking a Pokédex of his own out.

"_Riolu, the Emanation Pokémon,"_ the screen read, _"is the pre-evolved form of Lucario._ _When sad or scared, Riolu's aura becomes stronger as a way of signaling its allies."_

"Whoa," Ash whistled. "An Aura user and it can talk!"

"Yeah, he learned how to at quite a young age," I explained. "He comes from a special place where they do that, but I've never seen it before."

"I haven't seen a Pokémon that could talk human since Team Rocket's Meowth," Ash added, and then noticed James half collapsed next to the statue of Dialga.

"It's you!" he gasped, and struck a fighter's pose. Brock also noticed James, and angrily brought out one of his own Poké Balls. Kenny did the same when he saw James.

"All right, what are you doing here!?" Ash barked. "You'd better keep your filthy hands off my Pikachu!" Pikachu's cheeks began to crackle with lightning as it jumped to the ground.

"No, stop!" I called out, coming between Ash and James. "He's not a bad guy!"

"You don't get it!" Ash protested, pushing me back. "Team Rocket's a group of bad people who're always trying to steal my Pikachu!"

"Not anymore!" Aelita shot back. "He's been fired!"

"Huh!?" all three boys gasped, clearly not expecting this.

"We've been travelling with him for a few days now," I explained, "and he told us that he got fired from Team Rocket a month ago. Someone very high up in the organization, not Jessie or Meowth, blamed James for all of the group's faults, and it got him fired and he's now being hunted down for his Pokémon and for him to be 'punished' for his ineptitude."

"Punished?" Ash gulped, his face showing horrible thoughts entering his mind.

"Now that you mention it, we did see this news story a week ago about an act of heroism at the Hearthome City Pokémon Center by someone who looked like James," Brock noted.

"Oh yeah," Ash said, "I remember that too."

"And James did help out Piplup and me in the ruins," Dawn added.

"But what if it wasn't really him at the Pokémon Center?" Kenny asked. "And what's to say he won't try anything funny right now or when your guard's down?"

"Well, if you don't believe any of us," I said, "then how about we have a battle?"

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"I'm making a wager," I said. "If you battle James and win, then we'll leave and you won't ever see us again. Should he win, you'll believe what I say and hear him out. Does that sound fair enough to you?"

"That's a big gamble you're taking, Jeremy," Aelita said. "Ash is a skilled Trainer."

"But I have faith in James," I said, grinning. "He's a good guy at heart, and I want Ash to see that."

Ash hummed to himself, thinking about my deal. "Well, James has helped us out a few times before, and he didn't always turn on us." He then clenched his fist. "But one thing's for sure: no matter what, I never turn away from a battle! You're on!"

I grinned. "I knew it."

"You had your entire plan running around Ash not denying a challenge?" James asked.

"All that was needed was for Ash to be Ash," I stated. "Shall we begin now?"

"Whenever you're ready, so am I!" Ash nodded.

(-o-)

After a few minutes of resting from escaping the ruins, James and Ash stood facing each other across both statues. Ash stood on the left side of Dialga, and James stood on the right side of Palkia. Aelita, Kenny, Dawn, and I all stood to the sidelines, as spectators. We decided not to sit on the steps to the ruins as a safety precaution, given that it was the cause of our recent adventure. Brock stood in between the two battlers to act as the referee.

"Three on three sound good to you?" James asked. "I don't want Mime Jr. to battle you just yet."

"Sounds good to me!" Ash nodded.

"I was also hoping to fight Pikachu fair and square this time," James added. "I got no nets, no gadgets, nothing. It's just me and my Pokémon."

"That's okay with me, how about you?" Ash asked his partner, who nodded and jumped into the battlefield.

"So, it's Pikachu first, eh?" James said. "Well, now you'll know why I don't want to steal it anymore!" He then held his Poké Ball in a dramatic fashion. "For the first, last, and only time coming out of a Poké Ball, here we go! Pikachu… meet PIKATWO!"

James threw his Poké Ball into the fight, and Pikachutwo popped out, primed for battle.

"James has a Pikachu?" Ash, Brock, and Dawn gasped.

"Why yes, I do," James grinned. "But it's not any Pikachu! I'm surprised you don't remember this one!"

Ash's Pikachu looked surprised as well, and then Pikachutwo gave it a wink. Pikachu cocked its brow, but then gasped upon realizing Pikachutwo's identity. Pikachutwo grinned and nodded, getting back into battle position.

"You know this Pikachu?" Ash asked his Mouse Pokémon, and Pikachu nodded, saying something in the Pokémon tongue.

"It says that it's the Pikachu you and Brock met in the Johto region," Judah clarified. "It's the clone of your Pikachu that was created by Mewtwo."

"That's Mewtwo's Pikachu clone!?" Ash and Brock gasped.

"What's a clone now?" Dawn and Kenny asked, clearly confused.

"We'll explain later!" Ash said. "Battle first, story later! I'll let you have the first move, James!"

"Now, let the battle begin!" Brock declared.

"All right," James said, "Pikachutwo, use Quick Attack!"

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack as well!" Ash cried.

Both Pikachu rushed forward, but Pikachutwo was slightly faster and slammed into Pikachu before it could react, pushing it back.

"You okay, buddy?" Ash asked, and Pikachu nodded, its cheeks sparking.

"I've always wanted to say this!" James cheered. "Pikachutwo, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachutwo shot a huge bolt of lightning at Pikachu, which hit it directly. However, I knew this attack would not do that much damage since Electric-Type moves were not very effective against Electric-Type Pokémon.

"Follow it up with Slam!" James cried, and Pikachutwo jumped into the air above Ash's Pikachu, ready to quite literally lay the smack down on it.

"Quick, Pikachu!" Ash called out. "Intercept with Iron Tail!"

Pikachu jumped up, and its tail became iron-hard. It then collided with Pikachutwo, and sent both sides falling down.

"Are you all right?" James asked his new partner, and it nodded.

"You're pretty good, James!" Ash said, grinning.

"You're better than I remember," James said. "But I'm not pulling any punches! Pikachutwo, use Double Team!"

Pikachu began to run, and as it ran, I could see that there were two, then four, and then multiple copies of Pikachutwo running around Ash's Pikachu.

"What kind of move is that?" I asked.

"Double Team creates shadowy clones of the user to raise evasiveness," Judah explained.

"Hey, didn't Ulrich have a trick like that on Lyoko?" I asked, Aelita, who nodded. "That's interesting."

"Scatter them with Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" Ash cried.

Pikachu fired off multiple small bolts to erase the copies, but only half of them faded. The rest started to gang up on him.

"Now, Slam!" James cried, and all of the Pikachutwo copies dog-piled on top of Ash's Pikachu. However, a huge spark of electricity launched Pikachutwo off of Ash's Pikachu, and made all of its shadow copies disappear.

"Whoa!" I gasped. "That Pikachu is sure strong! No wonder James and his friends wanted it so bad!"

"I'm not done yet!" James shouted. "Pikachutwo, use Quick Attack!"

Pikachutwo launched forward, but Ash was ready. "Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu cloaked itself in its electricity and charged at Pikachutwo, the collision resulted in a tremendous explosion that sent both sides flying in opposite directions. When the smoke cleared, both Pokémon remained standing for a second before they both collapsed.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle!" Brock declared. "This matchup calls as a double KO!"

"Wow, what a match!" I whistled.

"For sure!" Aelita nodded.

Both Trainers cradled their fallen Mouse Pokémon, and put them to the sides.

"You're a lot stronger than I thought, James," Ash said.

"Same goes for you, Ash," James grinned. "Now are you ready to continue?"

"You don't have to ask me that!" Ash grinned, sending out his next Pokémon. "Turtwig, I choose you!"

"Ash has a Turtwig too!" Aelita stated.

"Well, here goes!" James said, throwing out his own next Pokémon. "Zubat, you're up!" James' Bat Pokémon popped out and flitted around his side of the battlefield.

"I've never seen you with that Pokémon before!" Ash noted.

"Well, watch and learn!" James said. "Zubat, use Supersonic!"

It let out an eerie cry, and Turtwig looked like it was all turned around.

"Supersonic is a move that confuses an opposing Pokémon," Judah explained. "A confused Pokémon may miss its target easily or even attack itself."

"Come on, Turtwig!" Ash cried. "Snap out of it and use Razor Leaf!"

Turtwig, still confused, fired multiple leaves at Zubat, but it dodged most of them, and the few that did hit it didn't seem to do much damage.

"Now is the time!" James cheered. "Zubat, use Leech Life!"

Zubat bit down on Turtwig's earthen shell and began sucking some weird greenish energy out of it. It flew off soon after, and it looked noticeably stronger while Turtwig looked noticeably weaker.

"Now what kind of move is this?" I asked Judah.

"Leech Life is a Bug-Type move that drains some of the target's energy," he replied. "It's proportional to the amount of damage given by the attack itself."

"Now, Zubat, use Wing Attack!" James called out, and Zubat slapped Turtwig with its wings, sending it flying backwards.

"Turtwig, are you okay?" Ash asked, and Turtwig shook its head, snapped out of its confusion. "Now use Tackle!"

Turtwig jumped up high and slammed into Zubat, knocking it down to the ground.

"Please hang in there, Zubat!" James cried, and Zubat flew back up into the air. "Now, use Leech Life!"

Zubat soared down to Turtwig and flew behind it, biting its head this time. Like before, Turtwig grew weaker while Zubat regained some of its energy.

"Now use Wing Attack!" James cried, and Turtwig was slapped backwards again, this time into the Dialga statue pedestal, and it fell over backwards, out cold.

"Turtwig is unable to battle!" Brock ruled. "The winner is Zubat!"

"Wow, what a Zubat!" Dawn said, clearly impressed.

"Turtwig, return!" Ash said, recalling his Pokémon. "That was a great battle, Turtwig. Now you get some rest." He then took out his last Pokémon. "Here goes nothing! Buizel, I choose you!"

Ash sent out an orange weasel-like Pokémon with blue fins on its arms and a yellow flotation sac around its neck. I realized that this was the Buizel that James mentioned. Clearly, Dawn traded her Buizel with Ash's Aipom, which was now an Ambipom.

"Keep it going, Zubat!" James cheered. "Use Supersonic!"

"Not gonna happen this time!" Ash said. "Buizel, Sonic Boom!"

Buizel fired supersonic waves from its tails, which broke the sound wave that was heading its way and hit Zubat, causing it to fall from the sky and land on the ground, unconscious.

"Zubat is unable to battle!" Brock said. "Buizel wins!"

"Well, that was fast," I whistled.

"Zubat was quite weakened beforehand," Aelita noted.

"Good job, Zubat!" James said, recalling his fainted partner. "Now return and rest!" He then brought out his final Poké Ball. "Here's my trump card!" He threw it out, and Cacturne appeared for all to see.

"Cacturne?" Ash gasped.

"James must have had his Cacnea given back to him," Brock said, "and it evolved too!"

"And it's learned more than just Drain Punch!" James grinned.

"Well, let's see about that!" Ash said. "Buizel, Aqua Jet!"

Buizel cloaked itself in water and launched at Cacurne, but James grinned.

"Cacturne, Sucker Punch!" he called.

Cacturne shot forward and punched Buizel in the gut, sending it backwards but did not stop its attack. However, the watery attack did not do much to Cacturne, since Water-Type attacks aren't very effective against Grass-Type Pokémon.

"What the heck was that?" Ash gasped.

"Sucker Punch hits a Pokémon that is attacking the user before it attacks," Judah explained. "It fails if you don't attack, however."

"That must be one of its new tricks!" Dawn deduced.

"You got that right!" James cheered. "And that's not all! Let's try Needle Arm!"

Cacturne's arm glowed a bright green and slammed into Buizel's side, sending it flying. I knew well enough to know that Water-Type Pokémon were weak to Grass-Type moves like Needle Arm. However, I knew that Ash was a strong Pokémon Trainer despite facing type disadvantages.

"You can do it, Buizel!" Ash called out. "Use Sonic Boom, rapid fire!"

Buizel fired more sonic blasts at Cacturne, and they hit it from all sides. I could see that Cacturne was looking weary, but James remained perfectly calm. In fact, he looked like he was enjoying himself.

"You really love Pokémon battles, don't you James?" I asked myself silently, smiling. "You don't care about anything else, you're just having the time of your life out there. I guess this is what Pokémon Trainers are really like after all."

"Cacturne, use Pin Missile!" James cried, and Cacturne shot pins out on all sides, hitting Buizel after a few seconds.

"And now for the finishing move!" James cried, punching his fist. "Use Drain Punch!"

Cacturne mimicked James' punch, and hit Buizel square in the chest, sending it spiraling backwards and far out of the battlefield. We were all stunned by the power contained in the Drain Punch, even Cacturne and James themselves. Buizel struggled to get to its feet, but when it got back to where it began, it fell to the ground, exhausted.

"Buizel is unable to battle!" Brock declared. "The winner is Cacturne, and the victory goes to James!"

"I… I won!?" James gasped, shocked, but then burst into tears of joy. "We won! We really won!" He then ran over to Cacturne and embraced his partner. "We did it, Cacturne, we really did it!"

Ash was shocked as well, but he smiled and patted his Buizel. "You did great, Buizel." It nodded weakly and let itself be recalled into its Poké Ball. Ash then turned to James. "You fought hard, James. That was well done."

"Well, I think I was just lucky this time," James chuckled.

"I don't think so," Ash shook his head. "I could tell that your Pokémon all believed in you and gave it all they could. So I'm convinced that you've changed."

"Thanks a lot," James sighed, relieved. "So how about I tell you my story once we get our Pokémon fixed up?"

"Sounds good to me," Ash nodded, and we all headed back to the Pokémon Center.

(-o-)

As Nurse Joy attended to Ash and James' Pokémon, we all sat down by the lounge to hear what James had to say.

"Now, I'm not going into a long and drawn out sob story about my life, if that's what you're wondering," he stated.

"Well, we do kind of know how you grew up with your greedy parents," Ash nodded, "but how'd you join up with Team Rocket in the first place, and why'd they fire you after all this time?"

"Hold on," Dawn said, "what do you mean by greedy parents?"

"You see," Brock explained, "James' family is about a rich as they come. He pretty much had everything he could ever want when he was a kid."

"Wow!" Dawn gasped. "But then why'd he go and join Team Rocket?"

"Now that's what I'm going to say," James stated. "You see, I did have a pretty good life, but my parents never paid any attention to what I felt or thought, and they couldn't care less about my feelings either. When I was younger than you, Dawn, my parents had me engaged to a woman named Jessebelle. She was, and still is, an evil witch. Nothing I said or did was 'refined' enough for her, so she tried to change me into a 'proper gentleman' and tried making me do even the most trivial and menial things 'the right way'. I could be not standing properly, not breathing properly; my heart could even not be beating properly, she tried to control every aspect of my life! I didn't want her messing with me, so I ran away from home, leaving my only friend, Growlie, behind."

"Who's Growlie?" Kenny asked.

"Growlie is James' pet Growlithe," Ash replied. "We met him once before when we 'visited' his house."

"You've been to his house!?" Dawn gasped.

"Well, we weren't exactly invited," Ash said. "We told someone we had seen James, and they took us to his estate. And let me tell you, to say that it was huge would be the understatement of the century. I've seen nothing like it before in my life."

"Anyway," James continued, "I managed to take some of my money with me, and I enrolled at Pokémon Tech, a school for budding Pokémon Trainers, in between Vermillion City and Cerulean City of the Kanto region. I wanted to become a powerful person of my own will, and I learned that people who graduate from Pokémon Tech are automatically qualified to enter the Indigo League."

"Really?" Kenny gasped. "That's pretty cool!"

"But it was only available for those with lots of money or a really high social standing," James added. "Anyway, a few years later, I met Jessie, and we got along rather well. But we both let our arrogance run away with us, and we skipped the last day of studying, and we both flunked completely out of school, resulting in us receiving the lowest grades the school ever dished out."

"Ouch," Dawn hissed. "Why do you even hang out with her anyway?"

"Well," James began, but looked nervous for a second, and then sighed. "She was the first person to not judge me like Jessebelle or neglect me like my parents did. We became fast friends because we had many things in common, like our pasts. I grew up having everything I wanted but no freedom, but Jessie grew up with no parents and no money at all, but had all he freedom she would ever want."

"Well, that's interesting," Ash said. "I never knew that about Jessie before."

"When we first joined Team Rocket, we couldn't do anything right," James continued. "But when Meowth joined our crew, we began to see ourselves in a new light. Our progression was slow, but we eventually became up among the best teams that Team Rocket had to offer." Noticing everyone else's questioning expressions, he quickly shook his head. "Of course, I'm not proud of that now!"

"Hey, we get it," Jeremy said. "You did what you had to do to survive. It's not like you could go home or anything, your folks just want to use you as a tool for money. It's choosing the lesser of two evils."

"But it was still evil," James protested. "However, that all changed once we met you, Ash."

"How do I fit into the picture?" Ash asked.

"Come on, you're not that thick, are you?" James groaned. "When we first net you in Viridian City, you stopped us form stealing the Pokémon there! When we started to track you guys down and try to steal Pikachu, that's when our performance took a total nosedive. We got an earful from Giovanni, our leader himself, and he demoted us to our first rank after the S.S. Anne incident three years back. In fact, midway through your Johto journey, we actually all got fired, remember?"

"Oh yeah, with that Delibird," Ash nodded, and Brock nodded too.

"He barely even knows who we are anymore," James added. "The only reason he kept us on board for Sinnoh is because we took credit for you guys taking down Team Magma and Team Aqua in the Hoenn region. We've taken out so much of his money, he'd sooner fire us! From a cannon! At the SEA!"

"Aren't you overacting?" Kenny asked, skeptical.

"You don't know Giovanni," James said, very seriously. "He doesn't mess around with anyone, especially people who take loans from him and don't pay him back."

"But why'd you say that you took down Archie and Maxie?" Ash asked. "Because he doesn't think a kid could do it?"

"As a matter of fact, yeah," James nodded. "Anyway, the reason I got fired, which happened a month ago if you were wondering, was because someone in the organization, and I don't know who, blamed me for all of our failures and promote Jessie and Meowth, but removed me from the organization completely. Not only that, they're sending agents after me to take my Pokémon away. They're also sent to capture me and do God-only-knows-what to me!"

"That sounds pretty bad," Dawn grimaced, not wanting to think what Team Rocket would do to James if they caught him.

"I never stole any of the Pokémon I own!" James added, starting to cry. "I caught them fair and square! And when I did, I've learned that Team Rocket is wrong about Pokémon! They're not tools for making money, they're not tools for battle, and they're certainly not our servants! They're our friends and our irreplaceable partners! To have someone take them away is like having a part of your soul stolen!"

"Well, it seems like you really have changed after all," Brock chuckled, smiling.

"And that's why I'm asking for your help," James said.

"Help for what?" Ash and his friends asked in unison.

"Before I left Jessie and Meowth," James answered, "I told them that I was going to make an army."

"What kind of army?" Ash asked, curious.

"An army of Trainers and Pokémon that will take down Team Rocket forever," James answered, firmly.

"You want to destroy Team Rocket!?" Ash gasped.

"I understand you hate them for what they did to you," Brock said, "but don't you think you're taking things a bit extreme here?"

"No," James shook his head, "for the first time in my life, I'm doing something right for a change. I'm gonna storm he base in Kanto, grab Giovanni by the scruff of his neck, and haul his orange-suited butt to jail myself!"

"But what about you, James?" Has asked, "You're a wanted man, you remember? What's to say that someone won't turn you in? Or what if, when you turn him in, you're arrested as well?"

"I don't care what happens to me as long as that scumbag is taken down," James said, gritting his teeth. "There's only one other man who shares my hatred, and that's my father."

"Why don't we think about crossing those bridges when we come to them?" Ash asked. "Isn't it enough for now that you've quit Team Rocket and are starting a new life?"

James looked at Ash for a moment, and then sighed. "You're right, I do believe. I've got my Pokémon, and I've got new friends. I guess I'm happy right now."

"That's good." Ash grinned. "But if you're serious about taking down Team Rocket, then count me in!"

"What?" James gasped.

"I want to take those creeps down just as much as you do, you know," Ash grinned. "You'll cross that bridge eventually, but when you do, I'm crossing it with you!"

"Hey, don't forget about me!" Brock said. "I'm in if it means helping Pokémon everywhere!"

"Well, if Ash and Brock are for it," Dawn said, "then I guess I am too!"

"And we're in too!" I stated, and Judah and Aelita nodded. "This sounds like fun."

James looked at us all, and smiled, tears welling up. "Thanks, you guys."

"Hey, speaking of Pokémon," Ash said, "I always wondered, what happened to Jessie's Arbok and your Weezing?"

James tensed for a moment, and then sighed sadly. "That's a bit of a sad tale, you see."

"Did they…?" Brock began, fearing the worst.

"No, they're alive," James shook his head. "We just released them for their own safety."

"What do you mean by that?" Dawn asked.

"It was when you two first came to Hoenn," James answered, pointing to Ash and Brock. "It was shortly after you left Petalburg City for Rustboro City, right when you showed up, Brock. Do either of you recall meeting a Pokémon poacher named Rico?"

"Hunter Rico?" Ash and Brock gasped.

"I see that you do," James nodded.

"Who's Rico?" Dawn asked. "I've heard of Hunter J, but a Hunter Rico?"

"He was a Pokémon poacher we encountered in Hoenn," Brock explained. "He poached some Pokémon in the area we were traveling in, but Ash and Pikachu took him and his Fearow down easy. Officer Jenny took his Pokè Balls away before he called out a Tyranitar."

"You got lucky," James said. "We fought that thing with our bare hands."

"YOU DID WHAT!?" everyone gasped, except for me, Aelita, and Judah.

"The Pokémon that Rico had poached were a pack of Ekans and Koffing," James explained. "We let them go for sympathy's sake, since they're what evolve into Arbok and Weezing. Well, he wasn't too happy about that, and sent his Tyranitar on us. We had to let Arbok and Weezing get to safety, since they were no match for it or even his Fearow."

"You're the ones who let them go?" Ash gasped, clearly surprised.

"Scout's Honor," James nodded, giving the famous three-finger salute with his right hand. "Afterwards, I met Cacnea, and he became my first new Pokémon in Hoenn! I've never actually fought a Pokémon to catch it, you know. I just asked and they said yes!"

"Wow, that's pretty cool," Ash grinned, impressed.

"Your Pokémon do seem to treat you with love and care," Brock noted, "and you do the same for them."

"But how'd you find that Pikachu?" Kenny asked.

"Well, I actually met Pikachutwo a while back in Johto," James answered, "but I caught him just one week short of a month ago. It was being attacked by a group of wild Primeape for intruding on their territory or something. Anyway, I stopped the Primeape by tying them up with Carnivine's Wrap and having Mime Jr. turn their own attacks against them with Mimic. But none of them were strong enough to fully match their power, and hey turned on me. But Pikachutwo was strong enough to unleash a powerful electric blast at them and get them running. I then took it to the Hearthome City Pokémon Center, and worked there for a few days before Team Rocket showed up."

"Hey, we saw that on the news a week ago!" Brock said, and Ash and Dawn nodded.

"And a few days ago, we met James," Aelita said, "and he got Cacnea back, who evolved into Cacturne after it defeated Pokemon Hunter J's Drapion."

"POKÉMON HUNTER J?!" Ash and company gasped.

"I was working at a Pokémon Day Care for about a week prior to this," James said. "It was the last place they would have looked for me, being a place that cares for and nurtures Pokémon. That's where I met Jeremy and Aelita, who listened to my tale and felt sympathy for me. Sudenly, Hunter J attacked the center, having come here to steal rare Pokémon that had been abandoned by cruel Trainers."

"Rare Pokémon were abandoned?" Ash asked.

"Aelita and I actually adopted a few," I said, and we brought out Draco, Matilda, Mabel, and Marvin.

"Wow, a Shelgon!" Ash said, excited. "Dragon Pokémon are really cool! And you have a Pidgeotto! I have a Pidgeot back home, and it's protecting its friends."

"And there's a Kadabra and a Kirlia!" Kenny added. "These are some impressive Pokémon you've got here!"

"Their previous Trainers didn't want to take the time to raise them properly," Aelita said, "so we took them in ourselves."

"As I was saying," James said, "Hunter J wanted to steal them. I sent out Pikachutwo, Aelita used her new Turtwig, and Jeremy used Judah."

"She tried to steal me too once she saw I could talk and use Aura Sphere," Judah mentioned.

"Anyway, her Draipon nearly destroyed us," James went on, "but then Gardenia shows up with Cacnea, who fires a super-charged Drain Punch at Drapion and literally knocks its head around! It kept attacking it, even as it was being attacked, and it eventually won! And it evolved into Cacturne after it won!"

"That's pretty neat!" Ash whistled.

"Not half as good as when all of these guys teamed up to beat J's Salamence and Ariados!" I grinned.

"You beat all of J's Pokemon?" Ash gasped.

"It was tough, but we did," I nodded. "This all happened right after I beat this bratty kid who mistreated his Magmar and wouldn't take it to a Pokémon center after it lost."

"Who would do that?" Kenny asked, angry.

"Wait, was his name Paul?" Ash asked, also angry.

"Why, yes he was," I nodded. "His Magmar roasted Aelita's Turtwig, and he had the nerve call her pathetic and weak!"

"Oh, that selfish, arrogant…!" Ash growled, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. "I'm gonna beat the pants off of him for that one alone! Aelita's just a beginner, that's nothing short of being cruel!"

"Officer Jenny almost arrested him for that and what he did to Chimchar," I noted.

"Well, good to know he's at least about to get punished," Ash snarled.

"Well, other than that," James said, "that's where we are now."

"So the only reason you joined Team Rocket was because you felt free, is that it?" Brock asked.

"That's right," James nodded. "But I was only fooling myself! I'm not going back to Tem Rocket if I could, and I'm certainly not going back home! I've decided to make a new life for me! I'd rather be poor and have a freedom than be rich and a slave to my parents and Jessebelle."

"While I don't believe you can erase all that you've done just like that," Ash began, "I do believe that anyone can change, and you've helped us out a few times more than I care to admit. So if Team Rocket wants to kidnap you and steal your Pokémon, they'll have to get past me and Pikachu!"

"Well, James seems okay now," Brock nodded, "and Ash is right about his doing the right thing every now and again. Even his Pokémon think he's not purely evil, so I guess I'll take their word for it."

"Well, if you guys are fine with it, so am I," Dawn shrugged. "I haven't known them as long as you two, so I'll trust your judgment."

"Thanks for that, you guys," James sighed, happily.

"Now that we've got that out of our system," I said, "what's on the agenda for you guys next?"

"Well, Dawn has a Contest here tomorrow," Ash said, "and after that, we're off to Veilstone City! That's where I'm gonna have me a battle for my third Sinnoh Gym Badge!"

"Sounds like a good plan," Aelita smiled.

"Well, I'll let James tag along with you guys," Kenny said, "so long as you promise me one thing, Ash."

"What's that?" he asked, and Kenny leaned in.

"Don't tell Dee Dee how scared I was in those ruins, okay?" he whispered, and Ash nodded. "I'll also teach Turtwig Energy Ball for you, okay?" Ash nodded again, grinning.

"I have no idea what that was about," I shrugged, "but all's well that ends well!"

With James and ourselves now part of Ash's crew, I was certain that we were in for some exciting and fun times. Since we arrived in Sinnoh, I wondered what a Pokémon Trainer was meant to do, and what better way than to learn from a Trainer himself? Dawn's Pokémon Contest would also be a good way of showing more of what Pokémon Trainers do than Gym Battles and the Pokémon League. I also hoped that Ash and James would reconcile and become good friends since they had both been through a lot with each other, and each could give something to the other. They've had many adventures with their Pokémon, and now they were beginning a whole new one with James along for the ride.

As for Aelita, Judah, and myself, our adventures with Ash and he crew were only just beginning.

* * *

**A/N: Personally, I like the way this version of the "Prophecy" for James is in this remake.**

**Also, I will slightly change the chapters I have already published in the original version of this story, and write more new chapters in days to come!**

**Please read and review and be patient for updates!**

**-JeremyX signing off!**


	5. A Star Shining Too Brightly

**A/N: After reading EchidnaPower's "AAML: Diamond and Pearl version", I decided to write more of this story and be content with it not being complete for a long time. After all, that one's been going on for four years, and it's not complete! I shouldn't complain either! Fame comes slow here, right?**

**Pokémon (C) 1995-2014 Pokémon, Nintendo, GAME FREAK, Creatures**

**Code Lyoko (C) 2002-2014 MoonScoop, France 3**

**Please support the official release.**

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Chapter 5 – A Star Shining Too Brightly

**-Jeremy's POV-**

Once we got back to the Pokémon Center, Ash, Brock, James had explained Pikachutwo's creation to us, and we were all equally shocked. Like James had said to Aelita and me, Pikachutwo was a clone of Ash's Pikachu, and the clone was created by a clone itself: a Pokémon named Mewtwo. It was created by duplicating, augmenting, and amplifying the genes of a Pokémon called Mew, which was apparently the rarest Pokémon to ever walk the earth, with only a few records of people seeing it in existence.

Mewtwo was created by Giovanni, the Leader of Team Rocket, to be his ultimate weapon. But it refused to be a treated and addressed as a slave, and broke free of Giovanni's control. It later lured Pokémon Trainers to an island, where he cloned their Pokémon to rule the world himself by destroying humans, whom he deemed as evil, and their Pokémon, whom he deemed as disgraced slaves. Ash and Pikachu fought him and proved to Mewtwo that not all humans were evil, that a Trainer's Pokémon were not slaves or tools but partners and friends, and that Pokémon and humans can live together in peace, whether they be born or created. Mewtwo left them in peace and Ash and friends continued on their adventures.

Apparently, the first time they met Mewtwo, it wiped their memory of him after he left, but they met it again when Giovanni, along with most of the elite ranks of Team Rocket, was hunting him in the Johto region. They had come to find Mewtwo in a natural preserve called Purity Canyon, situated in a place called Mt. Quena, and Mewtwo was captured by Giovanni with newly developed and highly lethal technology. However, Ash and his friends, along with the cloned Pokémon and those naturally living in the area, managed to rescue Mewtwo and defeat Team Rocket. Mewtwo was about to wipe everyone's memories again, but Meowth and Ash convinced Mewtwo that forgetting the past would not erase the events, and the children of the clones needed to know who they were and where they came from.

As such, Mewtwo did not wipe Ash and his friends' memories, nor did he wipe Jessie's, James', or Meowth's memories. In fact, he restored their memories of what transpired on his island. He did, however, wipe the memory of Giovanni and the elite members of Team Rocket, since all of the evil was caused solely by them, and the shame caused by their wrongdoing was theirs alone to bear, which vindicated Mewtwo and freed him from his grief. He chose to travel the world alone, sending all of the clones, along with Meowthtwo and Pikachutwo, to go their separate ways. But he gained a new sense of being, realizing that he belonged in this world just as much as any of us.

After the story, I helped Brock in making dinner for everyone at the Pokémon Center. Ash and James praised both of our efforts, and both said that Brock and I would make a great pro cooking team. With a full stomach and lots to get done tomorrow, we all headed off to bed. Ash, Brock, and Kenny bunked in the same room, and Dawn got a room to herself. Aelita, James, and I decided to camp out under the stars, since we were getting used to it, and we each fell straight to sleep.

(-o-)

The next day was the day before Dawn's Pokémon Contest at the Solaceon Contest Hall, and Dawn and Kenny were practicing their contest moves just outside he Pokémon Center. Ash was training Turtwig to use Energy Ball for their next Gym Battle, but while Turtwig could concentrate on forming the energy well, it was having a hard time concentrating on keeping the energy focused. Dawn, on the other hand, was having tremendous success with Ambipom, as it created a rainbow of sparkles with the stars formed by its Swift move colliding, which was caused by it whirling its two tails as it used the move.

I also noticed James at the far side of the area, training his own Pokémon. Cacturne was using Drain Punch and Sucker Punch in rapid succession at a tree, and Carnivine was whipping its leaf-like arms and vine-like feet at rocks, while also biting them to strengthen its massive jaws. Pikachutwo was running laps around the whole area to build up speed, and Zubat was flitting about in between the trees so it could stay in the dark and still get in some training.

"Well, aren't these guys a bunch of busy Combee this morning?" I asked Aelita, grinning.

"Well, it's important for both of them," she nodded. "It's no different from us studying for days on end for an important test. From what I can tell, Gym Battles and Contests are a lot like tests for these two. Ash's Gym Battles test his Pokémon Battle skill, and Dawn's Contests test her skills as a Coordinator."

"And what are you doing, James?" I asked the man in question.

"Since those two are training their tails off," James answered, "I see no reason to do the same! I've never had time for much training when I was trailing those kids, and I think my Pokémon and I can become a lot stronger if we practice as much as the twerps do… I mean, as much as the kids do!"

"Old habits die hard, huh?" I joked, and he gave me an annoyed look.

"Hmm, perhaps I can help at least one of those kids today," James said, and then walked up to Dawn. "Need a little help coming up with an appeal?"

"Well, Ambipom and I have got the blueprints of a new Contest move right now," Dawn said. "We're doing a double Swift and making a rainbow of sparkles that will show off great!"

"Well, that may be good for showing off the dexterity of its tails," James began, "but what about the swiftness of its body as a whole?"

"What do you mean?" Dawn asked.

"Well, the point of Contests is to show off your whole Pokémon," James replied, "and not just a single part of it."

"Okay, I get it," Dawn nodded. "So what did you have in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking," James answered, pacing around a bit and looking at Ambipom. "Why not do more than just have it spin its tails all around, but have it spin around as well? Have it breakdance while it makes even more flash with its Rainbow Swift move!"

"That sounds cool!" Dawn grinned, liking the image in her mind. "All right, Ambipom, let's try it out! Use Swift while spinning your whole body around on the ground!"

Ambipom did as it was told, and the resulting appeal was, indeed, very flashy. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something that wasn't quite right with this appeal. However, everyone else seemed to love the move, and Dawn and James looked like they were going to burst with joy.

"How'd you think of something like this?" Dawn asked.

"Well, she'd kill me if I told anyone," James said, "but I can tell you guys because you're good kids. Meowth and I did help Jessie come up with appeals for her Pokémon when she went in Contests in Hoenn, Kanto, and a few in Sinnoh."

"Jessie from Team Rocket was in other Contests?" Dawn asked, surprised.

"Yeah, we figured that out at the end of the last Kanto Contest in Mulberry City," Ash stated. "It's kind of a long story, but it involved her joining forces with one of May's rivals, Harley. He's kind of crazy."

"But what did you say about Sinnoh Contests?" Brock asked.

"Couldn't you tell?" James quizzed. "Like Jessibella was Jessie, Jessilina of Sinnoh is also Jessie!"

"No way!" Ash gasped, and the others were also surprised.

"Well, I didn't expect you to figure it out that quickly, Ash," James snickered.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!?" Ash growled, but the rest of us just laughed.

"It's one of the few things that Jessie manages to do fair and square," James said, "even if she's hopelessly underprepared and outmatched by kids like you."

"Well, at any rate," Dawn said, "I won't lose to anyone, Jessie or no Jessie!"

"And we'd better get to work on perfecting Energy Ball!" Ash said to Turtwig. "If you're gonna win your next Gym Battle, we're gonna have to go all-out!"

It nodded in agreement, and everyone resumed training. As I watched the two resume their work, I turned to Aelita and James, who also looked impressed.

"These kids have a strong desire to become great," Aelita said, "and they have the will to see themselves through."

"And that's why I grew to respect them the more I saw them battle," James said. "They have a power that only they could fully achieve, a power that we failed to recognize when we were kids or accept when we became adults: the power of combining determination and love to reach your goals."

"That's very poetic of you, James," I stated.

"Well, I did take a poetry class or two when I was a lad," James shrugged. "But enough clever banter, I'd say it's time for us to do some training of our own!"

"That sounds interesting!" I said, and brought out both of my Pokémon. "Draco, Marvin, time to start some training!" The Shelgon and Kadabra cheered as they appeared before me, and Aelita took out her two Poké Balls as well.

"Don't forget about me!" Judah said. "I want in on this action!"

"Matilda, Mabel, let's get started!" she said, and the Kirlia and Pidgeotto cheered in response.

(-o-)

**-James' POV-**

So for the rest of the day, we fell into a comfortable cycle of training and relaxing every so often to take a 'breather', as I put it. Ash's Turtwig did not make much progress with Energy Ball, but it still performed well with its other moves. He was patient and kind to his Pokémon, and we liked his training methods. Dawn made progress with getting Ambipom to produce more and more stars with its Rainbow Swift move and completely cover itself in the sparkles, but Jeremy still felt that something was not right about that move. I noticed that Brock, though he also enjoyed the move, looked like he could tell that something was wrong with the supposedly winning appeal.

The big surprise for all of us was when Zubat and I were training at the end of the day, when most of the light was gone. I knew that this would be an ideal time to train a nocturnal Pokémon like Zubat, as well as my Cacturne, which was nocturnally active by nature, according to my Pokédex cards. Zubat and Cacturne were having a practice match of three practice battles. Zubat won one, and Cacturne won one. When they came close to settling the score, Zubat launched an Air Cutter and began to give off a certain familiar glow. When the glow faded, Zubat had evolved into a new Pokémon that my Pokédex cards identified as Golbat.

I was ecstatic, and the rest of the gang was glad for both me and my newly evolved Pokémon. Its speed and power doubled upon evolving, and it learned a new move to boot. It forgot how to use Supersonic, but it learned Confuse Ray, which the Pokédex card stated was a more accurate confusion-inducing move than Supersonic. All in all, Golbat knew Confuse Ray, Air Cutter, Bite, and Poison Fang.

Speaking of learning new moves, the move set that Jeremy's Pokémon knew were pretty neat as well. Judah knew how to use, in addition to Aura Sphere, Poison Jab, Shadow Claw, and Bullet Punch. Marvin knew how to use Psychic, Shadow Ball, Focus Blast, and learned to use Reflect. Draco knew Protect, Dragon Breath, Zen Headbutt, and Flamethrower, but soon forgot Protect and instead learned how to use Take Down. The good part about it knowing Take Down was that it did not suffer any recoil damage thanks to its Ability, Rock Head.

Aelita's Pokémon weren't second-rate, however. Her Turtwig may have been low-level since Aelita was a beginner Trainer, but it knew some good moves for its level: Tackle, Bullet Seed, Synthesis, and Bite. We also managed to get her Turtwig, which she decided to dub Terra, up a level or two before he day was out. Matilda was also a case of great power in a small package, with knowing how to use Psychic, Shock Wave, and Water Pulse. Mabel also knew Whirlwind, Steel Wing, Wing Attack, and Twister.

With satisfied results of our training, we shared another dinner together and clocked out, ready for tomorrow.

(-o-)

**-Jeremy's POV-**

The next day was the day of the Solaceon Town Contest, and we had gotten there early enough to avoid the crowd of people who rushed to the stadium to see the event. The announcer, Marian, introduced the viewers to the three judges of the Contest: Mr. Contesta, Chairman of the Pokémon Contest Committee, Mr. Sukizo, President of the International Pokémon Fan Club, and Solaceon Town's own Nurse Joy. Not being familiar with Pokémon Contests, Aelita and I took in all that we could get, even Mr. Sukizo's using of the word 'remarkable' all too often.

I looked off to the side, and saw James coaching Dawn with a determined expression on his face.

"Remember the plan, okay?" James said to Dawn. "Your second Ribbon is guaranteed, I'm sure of it!"

"Thanks for the help, James!" Dawn smiled. "I never would have thought of the opening move or how to improve the main appeal without you!"

"Oh, think nothing of it!" James blushed, smirking. "It's the least I can do to prove myself to you guys!"

"Guys, it's starting!" I said, heading to the stands. "Good luck when you're up, Dawn!"

We all hurried to the stands, and waved at Dawn, wishing her good luck. Dawn's Piplup and Buneary, dressed in cheerleader costumes, joined us. I also noticed Ash's Pikachu in a green boy's kimono and holding cheering fans like the pink pompoms that Piplup and Buneary had. I assumed that this was their way of cheering Dawn on. Marian finished with the introductions, and introduced the first Coordinator, Kenny, who was now dressed very sharply.

"Breloom, let's go!" When Kenny threw his Poké Ball, a shower of lightning bolts came from it, and Breloom appeared from the largest bolt.

"How did it do that?" I gasped.

"Pokémon Coordinators in Sinnoh put Capsule Seals on their Poké Balls for Contests," Brock explained. "They can create all kinds of special effects with them."

"Wow!" Aelita marveled. "It's so amazing!"

"Breloom, Stun Spore!" Kenny ordered, and Breloom shook a series of yellow spores from its body, which surrounded it.

"What's he doing?" I asked, confused.

"Kenny's using the shine of Stun Spore to show off Breloom's skin!" Brock stated, impressed.

"That's interesting," Aelita said.

"Now use Energy Ball!" Kenny said, and Breloom shot the attack straight up into the air with its tail, and everything was shining with the Stun Spore's effects.

"Finish it with Mach Punch!" Kenny cried, and Breloom leaped up at sonic speed and shattered the Energy Ball, causing a ray of sparkles to illuminate Breloom and the stage as the appeal came to a close. The audience cheered for this display, and the judges looked impressed as well.

"The use of Stun Spore to show off the texture of Breloom was a brilliant maneuver," Mr. Contesta declared.

"It was truly remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo added.

"When Breloom broke the Stun Spore-coated Energy Ball, the energy at the end of it all was a sight to behold!" Nurse Joy finished.

I whistled, knowing that Dawn had some stiff competition in the early stages. I looked at Dawn's Piplup, who was wearing its cheerleader's outfit, and noticed that it was worried too.

"No need to worry," I eased, using Dawn's apparent catchphrase, "Dawn's gonna be great."

The next entrant, which surprised all of us, was none other than Jessie as Jessilina. She seemed much too arrogant with herself as she greeted the crowd like a vain celebrity before starting her appeal.

"I hope she doesn't get herself into too much trouble," James moaned.

"Dustox, time to shine!" she declared, and her Dustox appeared in a shower of heart icons. "Now use Whirlwind!"

It flapped its wings rapidly, creating a powerful gust, and lifted Jessie off the stage, much to our surprise. However, I noticed that Ash, Brock, and James were not all that impressed.

"What's up?" I asked.

"She's done this sort of thing before," Ash explained.

"It's nothing new," Brock added.

"Which is Jessie's specialty," James lamented.

"Now, use Psybeam!" Jessie said, and Dustox fired a beam of psychic energy, which hit the poison scales that its wings gave off, and created a thick cloud of green smoke. When it cleared, Jessie was back on the ground, and Dustox was perched on her shoulder.

"I'll give her one thing," Brock noted. "Her Dustox is well in sync with her."

"So I see," I said.

"Well, that last part was something new," James said. "Maybe she has changed after all."

"This is the kind of performance that can only be possible when Coordinator and Pokémon are in perfect harmony!" Mr. Contesta stated. "An excellent performance!"

"And don't forget, remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo added.

"The sight of Dustox's sparkling scales was truly wondrous to behold!" Nurse Joy finished.

"I live ta see anotha' day!" a voice cried out from behind me.

James and I turned around to see that Meowth was in the crowd, and was crying his eyes out joyfully. He soon stopped crying and gasped when he noticed us.

"Meowth?!" Ash gasped.

"Whadda youse guys doin' here?" he asked.

"I was about to ask the same thing," James said. "I thought I told you two not to follow those kids anymore!"

"We weren't, for once!" Meowth protested. "We weren't even following you, even though dat was our orders! Jessie just hoid about da contest here, and signed up before I could say 'no'! Den she expects me to come up wit' a strategy da night before da contest, and I woiked my tail off all night fer dat woik of art dat you just saw!"

Just then, Meowth noticed Ash and Brock with us, and then froze up. "I mean, who's Jessie?"

"Take it easy, Meowth," James waved. "They know all about 'Jessilina' thanks to me, and they're okay with it."

"Oh, ok," Meowth sighed, slumping back into his seat.

"Wait, why didn't you follow me?" James asked, confused. "Do you not want to?"

"Of course not, Jimmy!" Meowth shook his head. "We'd neva toin youse in, you're our buddy no matta what!" He then grimaced. "But it is getting tough makin' excuses fer da higher-ups…"

"Well, how about we talk about this later?" I asked. "We've got a contest to watch."

"Good idea," James said, and we turned our attention back to the show just as Dawn stepped onto the stage and summoned Ambipom.

It started off the appeal with a Double Hit that created a shockwave which spread throughout the arena and nearly blew us out of our seats. It then created its Rainbow Swift maneuver, which was very fancy and well done. The problem came in when Dawn got Ambipom to go faster and faster, which caused it to be completely covered by the stars, and I could tell that, even though the crowd was impressed, the ones judging the performance weren't.

"You gotta love that Rainbow Swift!" Ash said, completely oblivious of the obvious problem with the appeal.

"But don't you think it's a bit much?" Brock asked, skeptical.

"But it's gotta grab the crowd's attention, right?" Ash asked, and Piplup and Pikachu agreed.

"Well, it ain't grabbin' da judges' attention," Meowth noted, and I saw that the judges did not look too much impressed with Dawn's performance.

"I agree," Aelita said. "It's pretty, to be sure, but there's something wrong with it."

"What do you mean?" James asked. "If there's a problem, what is it?"

"The move is flashy," I stated, "but there's one key element that can't be seen."

"What's that?" James asked.

Before I could answer, the stars vanished in an instant, and the appeal came to an end. Dawn and Ambipom wave to the crowd, and we left our seats to join her in the Coordinator's lounge. James invite Meowth, since Jessie was also going to be there, and we noticed Marian announcing the pending of the results when we got to the lounge. Kenny noticed our arrival, and waved at us.

"That Rainbow Swift was something else!" he praised.

"Thanks, Kenny!" she smiled, and then petted Ambipom. "You were great, Ambipom!"

"Sorry for the delay," Marian announced from the screen, "but the results are in, and here are the eight Coordinators moving on to the second round!"

The eight faces flashed in succession on the screen, and our hearts were pounding to know of the results. At last, the eight faces were fully revealed, and we all gasped in shock. Not only were Jessie and Kenny two of the eight finalists, but Dawn was not anywhere on the list at all. We were all shocked, but no one could have been more shocked than Dawn herself. I heard her give a small gasp and Ambipom hung her head low. For a long time, none of us could speak or even move. I felt like I should say something, but I didn't know what to say or even if I should say anything at all. The only thing that I took notice of was that the first battle would be Kenny versus the eighth Coordinator on the list. Just then, Dawn spoke up.

"Congratulations on making it to the second round, Kenny!" Dawn said, grinning.

"Uh, thanks," Kenny said, stunned at Dawn's surprisingly positive reaction to losing in the appeals round for the second consecutive Contest.

Dawn looked at us, who were not only upset at the results, but taken aback by Dawn's calm reaction to it. "C'mon, chin up! Don't look so sad!"

"But, Dawn…" Ash began, but was stopped by Aelita, who stopped him with a hand gesture.

"We're sorry you lost," Brock said, trying to console the young Coordinator.

"No need to worry, I just had a less-than-great day out there, that's all!" Dawn said, and then pushed Kenny out the door. "Come on, you've got a contest to win!"

Kenny still looked stunned, but then he grinned. "Alright, I hear ya," Kenny said, nodding. "Root for me, ok?" Dawn nodded, and he left for his first battle.

As he left, Dawn looked at Ambipom, who looked at Dawn worriedly. She didn't raise her head, but petted Ambipom and smiled, though it was the kind of smile you smile when you're desperately trying to hold back crying your eyes out.

"Thanks for coming," I saw Jessie come up to Dawn with a cheeky grin on her face, and then proceeded to shove her out of the room. "Don't let the door hit you on your way out."

James glared at Jessie for her rudeness, and Meowth looked like he did not take a liking to Jessie's mean behavior either. But before Dawn was pushed out of the doorway, she stopped in her tracks, and raised her head, smiling.

"I'm staying right through to the end," she stated firmly.

She looked nice and bright, but Aelita and I knew better. I noticed that while she was smiling, her fists were shaking like she was going to burst into tears at any moment. To say that she was being a Stepford Smiler with this act would be putting it lightly.

"Oh, Dawn," I heard Ash say, and I noticed that he hung his head low, sensing Dawn's hidden misery.

"Excuse me, Miss 'Jessilina'," James said as he walked up to Jessie, "May I have a word with you in _private_?"

Without waiting for a reply, he dragged her and Meowth out of the room and into a storage closet.

**James' POV**

"What in the name of Sinnoh are you doing here?" I hissed silently, trying to make sure no one could hear us. "Do I need to remind you both that you're supposed to be trying to be professional Team Rocket agents again?"

"Give us a break!" Jessie whined. "Being Top Coordinator is my true dream! Do you honestly think that Meowth or I want to work for someone who'd turn on one of our own without a second thought?"

"Get dis, Jim!" Meowth nodded. "We don't wanna be wit' Team Rocket if it means we can't be friends anymore!"

"But I said…" I began, but Meowth cut me off.

"Youse said dat friends do what's best for each udda, even if it ain't easy," Meowth stated, "and dat's what we're doin' now! Da Boss can send agent after agent to hunt you down, but we ain't gonna be one o' dem!"

"Well, putting not hunting me down aside," I stated, "what about all the stealing? Can you really give that up so easily after doing it for so long?"

Jessie then looked at me with the most serious expression I ever saw her wear. "Can _you_?"

In that instant, my eyes grew wide and my mind went blank. It felt like lightning had struck my brain and rendered every part of my body completely numb.

"And now you see my point," Jessie said. "You've been gone from our lives for two whole months, do you know that? A lot can happen in that time, James, and it did. All that time, Meowth and I could only think about you and all that we did together, even before we joined Team Rocket."

"Just because our lives haven't been the great successes we wanted dem to start out as didn't mean we had to scrape da bottom of da barrel," Meowth said. "You were right about doing da right thing. It ain't always easy, but you feel tons betta afta doin' it dan you would've if you picked the easy way out. We never cared about who we stole from, only that it helped us. But we're realizin' now dat it ain't what we thought it'd be, and we don't wanna do it anymore!"

"We've been going the easy way out our whole lives, and has it worked?" Jessie asked. Before I could answer, she cupped both her hands into the shape of a 0. "That's the answer! The reason I made it past the appeals round is not because of my good looks, though that is important. It's because I trusted Dustox, it trusted me back, and we built our appeal based on that bond alone! And that's why the twerpette failed! The trust was there, but she polished her moves more than she polished Ambipom's look overall!"

"Oh no," I gasped. "I never thought…"

"So you were the one who did it?" Jessie chuckled. "I really expected more out of you! I would assume that you, the soul of our team, knew more about raising Pokémon with love and bringing out their best than Meowth or I could! You're like the master twerp himself when it comes to training! The judges' comments made me feel better than anything I've ever accomplished in Team Rocket, and I want to keep feeling like that!"

"And now, the second Contest Battle: Jessilina versus Upton!"

"Now if you'll excuse me," Jessie said, exiting the closet, "I have a Contest to win." She then stopped and turned back. "And tell the twerpette – er, Dawn – that I'm sorry for being so pushy."

With that, Jessie left for her battle, and Meowth followed her, leaving me with just my thoughts. Soon enough, though, I managed to make my way back to the Coordinator's viewing room. I noticed that Dawn was still upset as she watched Jessie and the other Coordinator battling. I was also upset because I knew that I was partly to blame. If I hadn't suggested the breakdancing, then Dawn and Ambipom would have made it to the next round.

Neither Dawn nor I spoke as we watched Kenny's final match against Jessie. Her Dustox was brilliantly deflecting Prinplup's attacks and breaking its combos, which cost Kenny almost all of his points. I was shocked and also glad to see what a skillful battler and Coordinator she had become, not to mention how relaxed she was in her battle. Soon enough, the time was up, and Jessie was declared the winner of the Solaceon Contest, and the Ribbon, by a landslide lead of points.

The crowd cheered for Jessie, and she and Dustox were both crying tears of joy. But I looked at Dawn and noticed a single tear of sadness running down her face. As soon as the contest was over, Dawn got up from her seat and ran out of the room without a word. I was about to run after her, but then I noticed Jessie, not in her Jessilina outfit or in her Team Rocket uniform, and Meowth out the window giving me a signal.

"Uh, guys?" I said. "Jessie's trying to get me to talk to her, is it ok if I go see them?"

"Well, don't do anything stupid or evil, okay?" Ash asked.

"Deal," I nodded, and went outside. "So what's up?" I asked as I approached them.

"We're going into hiding," Jessie said. "We're not reporting your location to the Boss anymore."

"But they'll chase you down too!" I protested. "And your punishment could be even more severe than mine, given your new current A-Rank status!"

"We don't care anymore, don't ya get it?" Meowth said. "Team Rocket or no Team Rocket, we're more than friends, we're family! Family stick wit' each udda now and foreveah!"

"I seriously doubt that Ash will let you join up with him," I stated.

"We don't want to join up with him," Jessie said. "We're on our own now. No Team Rocket, no kids, no one but us and our Pokémon. The next Contest in Celestic Town isn't going to be for a long time, but I'm going to train as much as I can for it. I hear that another Contest may be held in between this one and the one coming up, but I don't know when or where it is."

"As fer me," Meowth said, "I'm stain' wit' Jess here. We both need each udda fer company, and we're waitin' fer when we can meet properly again. You say you wanna take Team Rocket down, but you're gonna need an army."

"And that's what we're going to do," Jessie said. "We'll catch a bunch of Pokémon and raise them the right way, and we'll find you again and help you bring this part of our lives to an end."

I was shocked at what my friends had just said, but then I smiled broadly.

"You really have done a lot in just two months, huh?" I chuckled.

"I may not be one for deep thinking," Jessie admitted, "but now I have a somewhat firm grasp on my conscience."

"Speaking of armies," I said, and around to see Pikachutwo come out to say hello. "There's someone I want you two to meet. Jessie and Meowth, meet Pikachutwo!"

"PIKACHUTWO!?" they gasped.

"It's the clone of Ash's Pikachu that we met all those years ago," I said. "I saved it from a pack of wild Primeape, and now we're friends! We wish you both luck in Pokémon catching and in Contests!"

"Well, I guess dat's TWO mice that Team Rocket will hafta watch out fer," Meowth chuckled, and then he and Jessie turned to leave. "See you later, Feraligatr."

I smiled and waved them off. "After a while, Totodile."

With that, Jessie and Meowth went off on their way and I returned to the Pokémon Center. I was sad that I caused Dawn to lose the Contest, but was excited that I learned that my friends had not forgotten or abandoned me. When I got there, I noticed that Kenny was getting ready to leave. Dawn was also there, along with Ash, Brock, Jeremy, and Aelita, but Dawn still looked depressed.

"I gotta get ready for the next Contest," he said, "and of course you're going to be there too, right Dee Dee?"

"I don't think so," she said glumly. "Not the next one, I guess."

Kenny frowned. "All right, Dee Dee, let's get one thing straight: there's no way I'm letting you quit Contests, not until after I've had a chance to beat you, understand?"

"Okay, no need to worry!" Dawn said, suddenly snapping to attention and waving her hands in front of her face. "I'll be there!"

Kenny still frowned, but he accepted this answer and went his way.

(-o-)

**Jeremy's POV**

It was about time for us to hit the road again, but Dawn had not awoken yet. James had told Ash, Brock, Aelita and I about his encounter with Jessie and Meowth, and we were both happy for him and sad for the two now ex-Rockets on the run far from their friend.

"I saw the whole thing on TV!" a voice said, and I turned around to see a redheaded girl with a brown vest covering a red turtleneck and sunglasses in her hair come up to us, placing her purse on the seat next to Ash.

"Zoey?" Ash gasped.

"Hey guys," she said. "Good to see you all again."

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Zoey is a rival and friend of Dawn," Brock explained. "She's been in all of the Contests Dawn has been in up to now, except for the Solaceon Contest yesterday."

"And who are you?" Zoey asked.

"My name's Jeremy," I stated, and waved at Aelita, "and this is my girlfriend, Aelita."

"It's nice to meet you," Aelita smiled.

"Don't forget about me!" a voice piped up, and I turned to notice Judah.

"Of course," I sighed, ashamed, "and this is my Pokémon partner, Judah."

"Thank you," Judah chuckled. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am,"

"Wow!" Zoey gasped. "A talking Riolu!"

"Believe me," James said, "that's not the best part."

"What are you doing here?" Zoey gasped, recognizing James.

"Hey, easy Zoey!" Ash stepped between the two. "He's with us now! He's one of the good guys now!"

"Well, I'll admit you didn't make much of a bad guy impression," Zoey stated, "but what have you done these past few days?"

"Try the past few months," I said, and showed her the newspaper articles showing James at both the Day-Care Center incident and the Pokémon Center incident two months ago.

"Wow, you beat a Pokémon Hunter all by yourself?" she gasped.

"Well, I had help from Jeremy and Aelita," James shrugged.

"Oh don't be so modest," Aelita stated. "It was your Cacturne that beat J's Drapion!"

"Speaking of Pokémon," Zoey said, "where's Dawn?"

(-o-)

Dawn was sound asleep when someone came in and tore the covers off.

"Get up," Dawn heard a voice say, and was shocked to see her friend and Contest rival once she turned her head to look up.

"Zoey?!" Dawn gasped, now fully awake.

"C'mon, let's battle!" Zoey grinned, throwing the sheets to the floor. "You can partner with Ambipom and I wanna battle based on what you did yesterday."

Dawn was confused, but quickly got cleaned and dressed, and was outside in a flash. Zoey was waiting at the Pokémon Center's practice field, and her Glameow was already out.

"Ambipom, spotlight!" Dawn called, and the Long Tail Pokémon popped into place on the field.

"Alright, Ambipom, use Swift!" Dawn cried, and Ambipom repeated her appeal in the contest, break-dancing as a cloud of stars formed around her.

"What's Zoey up to anyway?" Ash asked.

"She's trying to point out the flaw in Dawn's appeal," I stated matter-of-factly.

"Now think about what you're doing!" Zoey yelled. "It's a pretty move alright, but the problem is: where's Ambipom?"

Dawn gasped in realization.

"I_ knew_ there was something wrong with it!" I exclaimed.

"In the middle of all that flash, Ambipom's disappeared!" Zoey stated. "You've got to remember it's your Pokémon who are always the main attraction! You've spent so much time polishing your moves, you've forgotten what you really need to do to show them off!"

Zoey's words shook us all, but I nodded to myself. "That makes sense."

"How so?" Aelita asked.

"Well, from a logical viewpoint, it's all in the name," I stated. "A Pokémon Contest is about showing off the uniqueness of a Pokémon, not showing off a bunch of flashy moves, though they are a part of it."

"Use Iron Tail!" Zoey commanded, and Glameow jumped up and slammed its tail into the sea of stars, breaking them all in a flash.

"Now Shock Wave!" Glameow shot a stream of blue lightning and knocked Ambipom off her feet. Dawn caught her, and she chattered to show that she was okay. Zoey then recalled her Glameow and walked up to Dawn.

"Dawn, do you know why I passed on Solaceon Town after the Hearthome Contest?" Zoey asked, and Dawn shook her head.

"Everybody gets upset when they lose," Zoey replied. "When you're not thinking clearly, it's easy to forget what's really important. That's why after a loss I take time off to recharge and get ready for the next challenge. I don't worry about Ribbons."

Dawn was silent, but in a reflective manner. Zoey placed her hand on her friend and rival's shoulder and grinned. "I'm sure we'll meet again in the finals someday."

Finally, Dawn truly smiled. "Thanks, Zoey."

"Easy does it is the way to go!" Brock said.

"Yo-ho-ho!" James cheered.

"So where are you guys headed next?" Zoey asked.

"I've got a Veilstone Gym battle!" Ash replied.

"Then make sure you win it!" Zoey said. "A victory might be the best present to give to Dawn too, you know?"

"Of course!" Ash exclaimed, and Pikachu agreed.

With that, we said our goodbyes to Zoey and we went on our way to Veilstone City. Each of us had a different goal in mind once we got there, however. For Dawn, she needed to rebuild her confidence and turn her defeat into a lesson for victory. For Ash, he needed a strategy for his next Gym Battle. For Aelita and myself, we were unclear as to what our goal would be, but were content with watching Ash and Dawn strive to reach their goals.

For James, however, he was determined to build an army of powerful Pokémon that would erase the stain of Team Rocket from his past and from the rest of the world for good. And if all went well, and his friends joined him down the road, he would not be facing Team Rocket alone.

* * *

**A/N: So, as you can see, Jessie and Meowth are also (somewhat) going straight. Honor among thieves, eh?**

**Anywho, I've also decided to take a page from EP's book and release future episodes in differing POV, like the original version of this story. I will also compile certain future episodes (including ****filler **which is actually relevant to the plot) in one chapter each, such as the Veilstone Arc, the Wallace Cup Arc, and Ash's Full Battle against Paul. However, the Team Galactic chapters and some others will have more chapters than one. Stay tuned for more! Please read and review!

**-JeremyX signing off!**


	6. Old Enemies, New Friends

**A/N: Okay, here's where it starts to get interesting! Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

**Also, I've taken some advice from EchidnaPower's AAML: Diamond and Pearl Version story (read it, it's great!), and I decided to submit my updates in multiple-episodes-in-a-chapter format in multiple POV from now on, but I will not change the ones I have posted. I hope that's okay with you all!**

**Pokémon (C) 1995-2014 Pokémon, Nintendo, GAME FREAK, Creatures**

**Code Lyoko (C) 2002-2014 MoonScoop, France 3**

**Please support the official release, I own nothing.**

* * *

Chapter 6 – Old Enemies, New Friends

-Episode 1: Life Lessons and Reflective Relaxation-

**Jeremy's POV - Flashback**

We continued on our way to Veilstone City after Dawn's unfortunate loss at the Solaceon Town Pokémon Contest, which resulted in James' old partner Jessie obtaining her very first Sinnoh Ribbon. Dawn was trying her best to keep a straight and happy face in spite of her failing to make it past the appeals round for the second consecutive contest in a row, but we all could tell that she was a lot more upset and emotionally ravaged than she let on. Ash, who is normally the densest member of our group, could even see how upset Dawn was, and I can understand why from a Trainer's point of view. He had probably lost more than a few battles in a row when he was starting out, and could easily relate to how Dawn was feeling. But it was a fact that Contest and Gym Battles were two different things entirely, and Dawn would have to overcome her new self-doubt on her own.

I could really tell that her confidence began to break when Brock took us on a visit to a place called "The Mountain Hut Maid Café", which was very hospitable and very friendly. It was a small cabin run by three maids named Spring, Summer, and Autumn, and Brock, by nature of being Brock, started to hit on Spring and Summer before Croagunk put a stop to his advances. The maids each had a special Pokémon called Miltank, which was, according to Jeremy's Pokédex, a Milk Cow Pokémon. The milk was very delicious, and our Pokémon especially loved it, but I noticed that there was one Miltank who did not join with the others. Autumn revealed that this Miltank was hers, which she had only just recently got and nicknamed Ilta. Apparently, it wouldn't do a single thing that Autumn asked her to do, and Autumn was thinking about releasing it, since it would not obey her and she didn't find it cute anyway.

However, Brock and James would not have that happen, and put Autumn and Ilta through a training regimen designed to strengthen the trust and bond of a Pokémon and their Trainer. Ash, Dawn, and Aelita offered to help at the café while Autumn was away, and Aelita practically forced me to attend Brock and James' session, hoping that I would learn something for her, plus she wanted to know how the whole thing would turn out in the end. Noticing that Judah was also interested in strengthening the bond between him and me, I gave in and went to join Brock and James.

First, Brock and James decided to give Autumn a lesson in being kind and patient, as shown with Brock giving a flower to Happiny and James doing the same with Mime Jr., except with a different flower. However, when Autumn tried it with Ilta, the Milk Cow Pokémon ate the flower and burped in Autumn's face, causing Autumn to become angry. Brock and James, however, reassured her that becoming friends with Ilta would take time and energy from both parties. Judah and I made sure to take this to heart, as we both knew that, though we were pretty close already, we needed to become a lot closer if we were ever going to be as strong as him or Ash or James or anyone else like them.

The next activity was on 'praise-giving' by letting Pokémon overcome fear with kind words. Brock and James crossed a rickety bridge, one after the other, with Happiny and Mime Jr. respectively. When it was my turn with Judah, I crossed the bridge halfway first, and slowly. When it was Judah's turn to cross with me, I told him that I was right there, waiting for him. He didn't seem too perturbed, until he looked down and started panicking. I kept my cool and ushered him on, and we crossed over in no time at all. But when Autumn and Ilta tried to cross it, Autumn tried to encourage Ilta with a back-slap, but tripped and almost fell over the side. Brock caught her, but then he started to slip as well. Fortunately, Happiny used its amazing strength to reel them both in.

As we calmed down with a quick snack, Autumn was very upset over her mess-up, but Brock calmly told her that everything would be just fine. I noticed that Autumn was looking at Brock with a certain light that we had both seen before: in Aelita's eyes whenever she looked at me. I chuckled to myself, and Judah, sensing my aura and reading my thoughts on the matter, chuckled as well. It seemed that Brock was not the only dense person in our group, as he had no clue about Autumn's feelings for him.

Next, Autumn tried giving Ilta a bath, but wound up scrubbing it too much, covering the poor cow in bubbles. She tried to rinse her off, but wound up tripping and getting the water on all of us instead. She tried to get us some towels, but ended up slipping on a bar of soap. The joke was so golden that not even I could hold myself, and Judah and I burst out laughing. However, I came to regret it as Autumn started crying over her clumsiness and moaning that she couldn't do anything right. Brock and James, after scolding Judah and I, told Autumn that if she couldn't keep her cool, then neither could Ilta.

We then noticed an apple tree of the far side of the field, and Ilta raced to it and head-butted against it. However, this caused a very angry swarm of Beedrill to drop from the tree and attack Ilta. Suddenly, Autumn threw herself between the Beedrill and Ilta, refusing to let her get hurt. But just as quick as she came, the Beedrill started attacking themselves in a state of confusion. We took that opportunity as our cue to exit, and Ilta happily licked Autumn in thanks for trying to save her. We all chuckled at this, happy to have made some progress.

However, we soon had no reason to laugh, for someone had attacked us out of the blue. The person in question was a tall man with an oily-black crew cut and a dark blue leather jacket with the symbol of a Gyrados on the back of it. He said his name was Turner, and he was a Pokémon hustler who had spied Ilta from the café and wanted it for himself. Naturally, Brock, James, and I got up to defend her, but Brock's Happiny fired a wave of pink energy, which caused the man to fall asleep on the spot. Brock realized that Happiny was behind the confusion of the Beedrill and this man's sleep, and that Happiny had used Secret Power in both situations.

Unfortunately, our celebration was cut short after one of Turner's Poké Balls opened up on its own, revealing a very nasty lobster-like Pokémon which was called Crawdaunt. It used Water Gun to awaken its master, and he, in turn, called out another Dark-Type Pokémon: Sneasel. I heard a noise, and turned around to see Ash, Dawn, and Aelita come up from behind us, apparently having seen our struggle. They made a move to attack, but Brock and James insisted that Autumn and Ilta battle. Autumn commanded Ilta to use Tackle on Sneasel, and then used Rollout on Crawdaunt. Both Pokémon were sent flying into Turner, and he was smacked up high and came back down with a loud and large crash.

Moments later, Officer Jenny had Turner taken away, and we counted the day officially saved. We left the café for Veilstone City, but not before Brock and James gave their parting words of wisdom to both Autumn and Ilta. With this adventure out of the way, we were on our way to the site of Ash's battle for his third Sinnoh Gym Badge.

(-o-)

**James' POV - Present**

As we were on our way to Veilstone City, Ash kept trying to get Turtwig to perfect Energy Ball. However, from what I could tell, the results were sadly less than adequate. We must have been walking and training in between for hours when Ash asked Brock where the nearest Pokémon Center was. To our shock, there wasn't one for about thirty miles in the next city after the town we were coming up to.

"That's a shame," Aelita sighed. "I was looking forward to that hot bath that Ash was talking about."

"No need to worry!" Dawn said. "I know a place near here where they have Pokémon-friendly hot springs!"

"Hot springs?" I gasped. "Now you're talking! Where is it?"

"Just up ahead!" she said, and led the way through the forest with us all in tow.

After a few minutes of running, we came to a house where a redheaded girl with three Swinub were having what seemed like a drill speech in front of the house.

"Hey, Lenora!" Dawn called out, and the girl turned around, saw Dawn coming, and smiled.

"How's it going, Dee Dee?" she snickered.

Suddenly, Dawn raced forward and got up in Lenora's face. "I told you not to call me that!" she growled.

"Sorry about that," Lenora shrugged, trying to calm the angry girl down. "But boy, is it good to see you again!"

"Same here!" Dawn nodded, cheerful again. "So how's business?"

At this, Lenora sighed sadly. "Not too well, I'm afraid. At least I'm not the only one having a bad day. I saw what happened at your last Pokémon Contest. Sorry that you lost."

Dawn looked upset again, but quickly regained her composure. "No need to worry, I'll just do better next time!"

Lenora frowned slightly, sensing Dawn's hidden self-doubt, but let it go as she noticed us. "Are those your friends?"

"That's right," Dawn nodded, "but I'll let them introduce themselves."

"I'm Ash," Ash said, and then motioned to Pikachu, "and this is my partner, Pikachu." Pikachu said its name in greeting.

"Hi, I'm Brock," Brock said.

"The name's James," I said simply, and pointed to the electric mouse on my own shoulder, "and this here is Pikachutwo."

"I'm Aelita, nice to meet you," Aelita bowed.

"My name is Jeremy," Jeremy said, "and the Riolu with me is my partner, Judah."

"Nice to meet you," Judah bowed.

"Wow, that's incredible!" Lenora gasped. "I've never seen a real Riolu, much less a talking Riolu!"

"Yeah, he is pretty cool," Jeremy chuckled, and Judah grinned as well. "So Dawn, how do you and Lenora know each other?"

"We went to the same kindergarten together," Dawn explained. "It's also where I met Kenny as well!"

"That's right!" Lenora confirmed.

Jeremy noticed the Swinub, and got out his Pokédex for more info. _"__Swinub, the Pig Pokémon. Swinub love __mushrooms __that grow under the dead grass, searching for them by smell and often discovering hot springs in the process."_

"Wow, those are pretty interesting!" Jeremy stated. "Is that how your folks made your hot springs?"

"You're quite the sharp one," Lenora nodded. "I'm in the middle of training my Pokémon!"

"That's what I'm doing!' Ash cheered. "So you wanna have a battle?"

"A battle sound great," Lenora said, "but I'm too busy for that right now."

Ash gave a groan of disappointment, but Dawn spoke up cheerfully. "Hey, let's go dip in the hot spring!"

Before Lenora could protest, Dawn, Ash, and Brock made off towards the hotel, with myself bringing up the rear. I noticed Lenora look like she was trying hard to tell them something important, but couldn't tell them since they would not listen. Jeremy and Aelita noticed this and reluctantly followed the other three kids to the hot springs, with Leona tailing us from behind.

By the time they got there, we were all in our bathing suits, and had just jumped in. However, the water only came up to our ankles and, to top it all off, it was not even remotely lukewarm at all.

"I'm so sorry," Leona said. "I tried to tell you that the hot spring's not flowing right now!"

She pointed to a stone fountain shaped like a Gyrados, and, sure enough, it was not flowing.

(-o-)

Moments later, we were out of the not-so-hot springs and Leona explained the situation. The hot spring is fed its water from a pipeline running downhill from atop a mountain. About a week ago, the water suddenly stopped flowing and her parents went to investigate. They hadn't returned since, and Lenora was afraid that her entire hotel would be forced to close its doors for good if things did not change.

"Hey, didn't your Pokédex say that Swinub can find hot springs?" Aelita asked.

"That's right!" Jeremy nodded. "Is that your plan of action, Leona?"

"Again, sharp thinking," Leona nodded. "My three Swinub can use Dig, so finding and making a new hot spring will be a snap! Now start sniffing!"

The Swinub trio obliged, and started running off towards the mountain. We followed in hot pursuit, and for a while nothing seemed to happen. However, I looked up and noticed a cloud of steam coming from over some trees in the distance.

"That looks like hot water!" Leona said.

"Then we'd better head over there!" I deduced.

We all headed in that direction, but stopped at what we saw when we got there.

There was a sign of a hotel in development, and the hot spring was already out and steaming, hence the steam I saw from before. The kids looked disappointed about not finding the hot spring first, but my Rocket Sense, which is a sense of perception you get after a long time working for a group like Team Rocket, told me that something was up. Looking around, I spotted a woman a few years younger than me with long blonde hair ordering a team of men, along with a few Golduck and Sandslash, around. The Pokémon were breaking up rocks and some of the men were digging holes with picks and shovels. She also had a team of Machoke and Golem moving lumber around with the rest of the human crew, which were also hammering in nails to make a building.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Leona hollered at the girl, who stopped her work.

"Pardon me girlie," she said as she approached us, "but this is an adult operation. You kids need to go away now."

"My family's hot spring is just down the mountain," Leona said, now angry. "Is this hot spring hotel your project?"

"You're very perceptive for a brat," the woman snarled, and then glanced at me. I gasped, recognizing her face from down the years. I kept my head, however, and the woman explained her operation.

"We've been working on this project for months now," she said. "We can't have any more delays."

"Hold on a minute!" Leona said, and then dipped her hand into the hot spring. "This is just like my family's hot spring water! I can tell by the smell and the texture!" Her three Swinub smelled it and nodded in agreement. "This can only mean that you people have stolen our water!"

The woman hissed at this, but then grinned evilly. "You can talk about the texture all you want, but how about showing some real proof to this ludicrous claim?"

"Proof?" Leona questioned.

"Well," Brock began, "if they tapped into the same water your family uses, but with a different pipe, it's technically not illegal."

The woman grinned upon hearing this, and then approached me. "Say, you seem like a man who could use some relaxation! How about I give you a sample of our soon-to-be glorious hot spring?"

Before I could object, Pikachutwo and I were pushed into the spring, and it truly was nice and warm. But I could tell that something was very wrong. Suddenly, something brushed against my leg, and I grabbed at the water. What I found was a Wooper with what appeared to be a transmitter on its tail.

"Hey guys!" I said, not getting up yet, "look what I found!"

"That's my mama and papa's Wooper!" Leona gasped.

"Hey, look!" someone said from above us, "it's Leona!"

We all looked up at the new voice, and saw a man and a woman in green kimonos, much like the one Leona wore, coming down from the mountain.

"Mama! Papa!" Leona cried, and rushed to greet her parents. "Did you guys find out the problem yet?"

"We sure did," her father nodded, "and what a problem it is." He looked up at the mountain. "We just got to the pipe yesterday, and decided to give it a good once-over to see if there were any leaks. There wasn't a leak, but a whole other pipe connected to our main water line! Someone was siphoning and diverting the water from our spring right from under our noses!"

"So we sent Wooper to find where the water was going to…" Leona's mother stated.

"And it led you here!" Leona finished. "This proves that you're a liar, lady!"

Instead of panicking, the lady grinned and pressed a button on a remote. Instantly, I was trapped in a giant fish tank that had risen up from below the hot spring, and the hole above me closed up before I could jump out. The woman and her crew then threw off their disguises to reveal what I had dreaded to see: Team Rocket uniforms; and hers proved that she was an A-Class administrator. I pounded at the walls, but to no avail. I even called out Cacturne, but his prickly punches didn't work at all. Pikachutwo didn't use any electric attacks, since I was soaking wet and would thus be a living lightning rod.

"Guys, get me out of here!" I yelled as I banged at the prison I was in.

"That glass is solid acrylic glass, James," the woman stated. "As for the rest of you, my name is Lucy, and I am an Elite Officer of Team Rocket sent to find _former_ Agent James Morgan and deliver him to our leader, Giovanni, to await his punishment for his ineptitude at our organization."

"Those guys are from Team Rocket!" Jeremy gasped.

"Who are they?" Leona asked.

"They're a group of criminals who live to steal Pokémon and anything else they can find!" Aelita barked.

"They're also after James because he used to work for them," Dawn added, "but they fired him and now want to steal his Pokémon and do who-knows-what to him!"

"You make it sound so sinister!" Lucy grinned. "Men, remove these pests from the site of Team Rocket's new hot spring hotel!"

"Sir!" the grunts saluted, and the Pokémon that were constructing went on the destruction path, causing my friends below to scatter.

"Why are you doing this?" Leona asked.

"Well, at first I set up this hot spring trap to lure in the little runaway," Lucy goaded, "but then the Boss himself approved my plan to truly build the hot spring hotel itself! We're even making this our new recruitment base here in Sinnoh!"

I was impressed by the fact that something that seemed like one of my friends' old harebrained schemes actually worked, but Leona was angry.

"But that's our water you're using!" Leona yelled.

"Uh, in case you haven't been paying attention, we're criminals, girlie," Lucy sneered. "We take what we want and we want what we take."

"You creep!" Dawn growled, and then turned to Leona. "Hey, you remember that bully from way back in kindergarten that pushed everyone off the jungle gym?"

"Yeah, what about him?" Leona asked.

"What do you say we do a repeat of those events?" Dawn snickered, and Leona caught on.

"I say, 'bring it on'!" Leona said. "Swinub, use Dig!"

The trio of Swinub dug holes underground, creating a pit trap that captured the Team Rocket grunts and all of their Pokémon. Lucy would have also gotten trapped, but she cleverly leaped out of the way just in time. Angered, she took out two Poké Balls and threw them out.

"Camerupt, Sharpedo, crush these fools!" she shouted, and said Pokémon materialized themselves before the heroes. "Camerupt, use Eruption! Sharpedo, use Hyper Beam!"

The Eruption Pokémon shot large flaming-hot boulders from the volcanoes on is back, and Sharpedo fired a powerful beam of pure energy from its mouth, but Dawn and Leona had a plan. They dodged the Hyper Beam, but Dawn sent out two of her Pokémon for her next move: Ambipom and Buneary.

"Ambipom, send back the boulders with Double Hit!" she cried, and the Long Tail Pokémon obliged, sending the boulders back at my cage. Of course, it did not break, but it got very hot in here very quickly. "Now, Buneary, use Ice Beam!"

"You use Ice Beam as well, Swinub!" Leona added, and her Swinub trio came out from under the ground and froze my fish bowl prison solid. My Pokémon and I were a bit disoriented from the sudden change form hot to cold, but I soon saw why she had done so: a series of cracks started forming in the glass, and I could hear the cracking happening. Taking a chance, I kicked the crack and the glass shattered, creating a hole large enough for me and my Pokémon to escape. By quickly heating and cooling the glass, it became brittle and broke. It was times like these that I loved seeing science at work.

"Thanks for that, Dawn," I grinned, and then turned to Lucy. "I can take it from here." I took out two of my own Poké Balls and called out Cacturne and Carnivine, who luckily did not latch onto me. "Carnivine, use Bullet Seed! Cacturne, use Pin Missile!"

"I want in on this too!" Leona said. "Swinub trio, use Earth Power!"

Once my attacks collided with Lucy's Pokémon, knocking them out, Leona's Swinub caused the earth from under her and the grunts to erupt, which sent them all sailing into the sky and out of sight.

"Badabing, bada-boom!" I grinned, and we all cheered for Dawn and Leona.

(-o-)

Leona's parents were able to fix the pipe by dismantling the pipe that Lucy made, and the kids decided to have a tag battle to pass the time. It was Dawn and Leona against Ash and Brock. It was a good bout on both sides, and it ultimately ended in a draw when both sides got frozen solid due to Leona's Swinub's Blizzard being mimicked by Brock's Sudowoodo, freezing Piplup, Chimchar, Sudowoodo, and even the Ice-Type Swinub.

Jeremy and I also had a quick battle, with Marvin and Draco against Pikachutwo and Golbat. Golbat managed to knock out Marvin, but Draco's Flamethrower stopped Golbat in its tracks. Even though the Electric-Type Pikachutwo was a bad matchup against the Dragon-Type Draco, Pikachutwo managed to tie with Draco by out-speeding it, since Draco's shell made it slow and Pikachutwo was already very fast.

"Ties all around, huh?" I chuckled as our battles ended.

"Well, I know just how to warm up these guys," Leona smiled, "am I right?"

With that, we all happily headed to the hot spring. It was even more soothing than the one Lucy had made, even though it used the same water. The hot spring was so large that all of our Pokémon could enjoy themselves. Not all of our Pokémon came in, though. Sudowoodo obviously stayed out, Chimchar only got in so much so that his tail flame stayed out of the water, and Golbat just sat around since if it got in, it'd probably drink up a lot of the water and not be able to fly. Buizel was punching a flowing stream of water from a fountain, and everyone else was just relaxing and enjoying the hot spring.

Dawn was still upset about the Solaceon Contest, but Leona assured her that everything would be okay. She announced that she would challenge the Gyms again, and wished Ash luck in his next Gym Battle, and Ash did likewise.

"Man, I haven't felt this relaxed in years," I sighed happily as I sunk into the water. "And I wanna say again, thanks for saving me back there you guys."

"It's no trouble!" Leona said. "Any friend of Dee Dee is a friend of mine!"

"Well, he wasn't always my friend," Dawn retorted, "and would you stop calling me that?"

"Say, I was wondering about that," Aelita said. "Why do you and Kenny call Dawn Dee Dee?"

"You really don't know, Aelita!?" Leona gasped, chuckling. "Well, you see…"

Before she could go any further, however, Dawn dunked Leona under the water, growling.

"This hot spring's more help than I thought!" she hissed as she let Leona come back up.

"Okay, let's keep that our little secret," she laughed with Dawn, but the rest of us were rather disappointed about the 'un-reveal', as I would put it.

We got geared up the next day, said farewell to Leona and her family, and headed on our merry way to Veilstone City.

-Episode 2: Cold Winds, Colder Rivals-

**Aelita's POV**

We got to another city before Veilstone City right at noon, and it was large to be sure, but there were very few people, if any at all, to be seen. As the rest of us took a break at a park for lunch, Ash got to training to help Turtwig to master Energy Ball. It finally got the form down, but the aim was still off by a wide margin. I quickly turned back to my meal, knowing that all good things would get done in time. It was very windy when we first got into town, but the breeze was nice and pleasant here in this park.

Suddenly, a horde of shadows flew over our heads and I looked up to see a group of Pokémon led by a larger one right above us. Before I could react, they all dove at us, forcing us to run for cover. I looked back and noticed that each and every piece of our food got stolen by the hungry horde, who all latched their tails onto nearby trees to devour their pilfered plunder. I was upset with our food getting stolen, but thankful that no one was hurt by those rowdy Pokémon.

"What are those?" Jeremy asked, getting his Pokédex out.

"_Gligar, the Fly Scorpion Pokémon,_" the machine read. "_It glides using the membrane attached to its arms and legs, and attacks the face of its prey with its claws._" He then scanned Gliscor. "_Gliscor, the Fang Scorpion Pokémon, and the evolved form of__ Gligar__. It watches its prey as it hangs from trees by its tail and attacks from above when it sees the chance._"

"Well, it saw a chance all right," I groaned, getting up.

We quickly recalled most of our Pokémon, with the exception of Dawn's Piplup, Ash's Turtwig, and Matilda. I don't count Pikachu or Pikachutwo since they hate their Poké Balls anyway. Just then, an Ice Beam came in from behind us, and we ducked to avoid getting hit. We turned around to see a familiar lavender-haired trainer with a Weavile right behind us.

"It's Paul!" Ash exclaimed.

"Murkrow, Haze!" Paul ordered, and called on his Darkness Pokémon.

Gligar emitted a sound wave, and the Gligar all ganged up on Murkrow. But it flew out of the way and started to attack all of the Gligar to get to Gliscor. Just then, the winds changed and Gliscor signaled the other Gligar to follow it. All of them left, save for one who was now cramming food down its gullet, licked its chops, and took off. However, it soon crash landed right on top of Ash.

"Get off of me!" Ash cried, and threw the Pokémon off of him, where it was greeted by angry stares from Pikachu, Pikachutwo, Piplup, Turtwig, Terra, Judah, and Mime Jr. before it flew off for real.

"At least that Gliscor lives up to its reputation," I heard Paul comment from behind us, and we turned around to face him.

"You know about that thing?" Jeremy asked incredulously.

"So does that mean you're trying to catch that Gliscor?" Ash asked his rival.

"Stay out of my way, got it?" Paul growled, and left without another word. We all frowned at this, but none more so than Ash. Before we could do anything else, though, Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy showed up, and Brock looked like he was in Heaven.

"Are you folks all right?" Officer Jenny asked.

"We're fine," Dawn said, "but I'm afraid they got away with our lunch."

"Looks like they've struck again," Nurse Joy lamented.

"And we didn't make it in time," Officer Jenny added. Suddenly, Brock clasped his hands onto hers and got to his knees.

"On the contrary, your timing couldn't be better!" Brock said, love struck. "My heart was feeling so empty, but now my heart is full again, all because of you-ARGH!" His love-struck speech was once again cut short by Croagunk, who now proceeded to drag him away, chuckling to himself all the way. "Of course, I'm feeling other things as well…"

We all chuckled nervously as Croagunk dragged the paralyzed romantic teenager away, much to the confusion of the women he tried and failed to impress.

(-o-)

Moments later, Officer Jenny joined us at the Pokémon Center for lunch and explained the situation.

"The Gliscor and Gligar have turned our city into a ghost town," Officer Jenny said, frowning. "They've eaten up every bit of fruits and vegetables they can find, and now they're grabbing food right out of our hands."

"But Gliscor and Gligar usually live in the forests, don't they?" Brock noted. "What are they doing here?"

"We think they've all managed to get lost," Officer Jenny said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"We had a storm one day," Nurse Joy explained, "and the wind was particularly fierce. It was so strong that Gliscor wasn't able to escape its force, so it ended up being trapped in our city. Of course Gliscor _wanted_ to return to the forest, but the winds were just too strong." She sighed as she closed her eyes. "They still are."

I was confused, but then I came to the realization.

"Of course!" I said. "It's those skyscraper currents! They're too strong for Gliscor or the Gligar to fight!"

Nurse Joy nodded, but Dawn looked confused. "Skyscraper currents?"

"The taller a building is," Brock explained. "the stronger the winds that swirl around it."

"So Gliscor had no other choice but to stay here," Officer Jenny said, "and before long it attracted all of the Gligar in the surrounding area."

"How'd it do that?" Ash asked.

"Echolocation," Jeremy stated, matter-of-factly.

"What's that?" Dawn asked.

"Echolocation is the emitting of controlled sound waves in order to detect obstacles and fly around them," Jeremy explained. "But in the city, echolocation can become amplified and scattered, bouncing wildly off of buildings."

"These powerful sound waves are what attracted the Gligar to the city. We've tried many times to capture them so we could return them to the forest, but they're very cautious and we can't get a hold of them."

"So our latest plan is to lure all the Gligar by using their favorite fruit as bait," Officer Jenny said.

"I wanna help!" Ash exclaimed.

"Me too!" Jeremy chimed in.

"Count me in!" I added.

"Same here!" Judah piped up.

"You guys in too?" James asked the other two kids.

"You bet, James!" Dawn and Brock nodded.

(-o-)

Judah used his aura to detect Gliscor and the Gligar, and found that they were in an abandoned building not too far from the Pokémon Center. Once that was done, Officer Jenny explained the plan to us. First, we filled a large delivery truck with all kinds of fruit and set it in motion along a long road through the city. Second, we filled a breakable party balloon with more fruit as the primal bait to lure Gliscor and the Gligar into our trap. Nurse Joy showed us a simulation on her laptop of the wind currents combining along our route in order to form one huge gust.

"So once the winds from the buildings get strong enough," Nurse Joy said, "it'll be just what we need!"

"So the idea is to use the strong winds to blow them all the way back to the forest!" Brock said.

"Exactly," Officer Jenny nodded.

"Then let's do it!" Jeremy cheered, and we began the plan.

I got Mabel to hold the balloon in her talons, fly up to where Gliscor and the Gligar were hiding, and throw it in through a window to get their attention. The Gligar started to eat all of the food, save for one Gligar, who licked its chops as a show before it ate. Mabel got Gliscor's attention for it to notice the truck, which was now on the move, and Gliscor and all the Gligar gave chase. However, that lone Gligar, which was the one that crashed into Ash earlier today, soon noticed that its friends were gone and chased after them.

"They're following us!" Ash shouted, peering out the window and noticing the oncoming swarm.

"I'm heading for the target!" Officer Jenny declared, and then made a sharp left turn.

Gliscor and the Gligar continued to follow the truck. For a long time, I was excited. I wondered if this is how James felt when trying to catch Pokémon using complex traps when he was in Team Rocket. Suddenly, I felt the air get much colder. I looked out the window, and saw a blizzard strike down Gliscor and send it hurtling to the ground. The truck stopped, and everyone got out to see what the commotion was all about. The Gligar also turned away from their food and rushed to Gliscor's aid, except for that same Gligar we met before, who crashed into the truck face-first.

"Who is that?" Nurse Joy asked.

We all looked to the distance, and saw Paul and Weavile, both with cruel grins on their faces.

"Thanks for the trap," Paul said cruelly, "but I don't need you losers anymore. Weavile, use Blizzard! Electabuzz, use Thunder to get rid of those pests!"

Weavile whipped up a blizzard to freeze Gliscor, and Electabuzz shot a bolt of lightning to scatter the Gligar.

"Paul, what are you doing?" Ash called out.

"I thought I told you before," Paul growled, "stay out of my way!"

"Stop this please!" Nurse Joy pleaded. "Gliscor and Gligar must be returned to their homes at once!"

"Young man, you are interfering with an official Police operation!" Officer Jenny barked. "I am ordering you to cease and desist!"

"I said, stay out of my way!" Paul yelled. "That Gliscor is going to be mine, and NO ONE is going to tell me to do otherwise!"

"He's got some nerve talking that way to Officer Jenny," I hissed to Jeremy.

"He'd fit right at home in Team Rocket with that kind of mindset," James grimaced.

"Stop it, Paul!" Ash cried. "They all need to get back to the forest! You have no right to tear Gliscor away from its home!"

"That's not my problem," Paul said callously. "All Pokémon Trainers do the same thing I'm doing now, even you."

"What'd you say!?" Ash growled. "I'm nothing like you!"

"Pokémon Trainers capture wild Pokémon and take them from their homes," Paul said, and I had to admit that he had a point. "Gliscor is a wild Pokémon, and I'm catching it for myself to train. In the end, that's what all Pokémon Trainers do, no matter who they are. What makes you so different from me? Answer me that!"

For a while, no one said anything, but James soon spoke up.

"It's quite simple, really," he said. "We catch Pokémon to make new friends, but you catch Pokémon to make them your tools and your servants! You couldn't be more different from true Pokémon Trainers if you tried!"

"I don't see the problem," Paul said. "After all… Pokémon are nothing more and nothing less than tools for battle. They exist solely to serve humans."

"WHAT!?" Ash roared, furious at Paul's heartless statement.

"How can you possibly think something like that!?" Dawn gasped.

"Pokémon are not tools for battle!" Brock shouted, "and they're certainly not our slaves!"

"I may not know a lot about Pokémon," Jeremy said, "but if there's one thing I've learned from all of my adventures so far, it's that Pokémon and humans are invaluable partners and the truest of friends!"

"We grow together and help each other overcome all kinds of obstacles!" I added.

"I may have worked with some shady people in the past," James said, "but I never once thought of my Pokémon or anyone else's as nothing more than a tool, nor have I once treated them as slaves!"

"You pathetic, naïve fools," Paul growled, and prepared to attack again. "I guess I'll have to show you what I mean! Weavile, use Ice Beam on Gliscor! Electabuzz, use Thunder to get rid of those Gligar!"

"We won't let you!" Ash shouted, and he leaped before Gliscor to protect it.

"Get out of my way!" Paul barked, and Murkrow used Sky Attack on Ash, sending him spiraling backwards and into the side of the truck.

"ASH!" we cried, and Dawn and Brock rushed to his side.

"That does it!" Officeer Jenny barked, and called out her Growlithe. "Paul, you are under arrest for the charges of assault and battery! Surrender now and give up that Gliscor!"

"I said, OUT OF THE WAY!" Paul cried, and called out Magmar, which used Flamethrower to create a wall of fire to halt our advance, and called out his Ursaring, which used its powerful arms to bash the truck out of the way.

"Something's not right," Brock said. "Paul may be mean, but he's never like this."

"Maybe he's finally snapped," James said.

Just then, one of Gliscor's teeth got knocked out by Paul's Weavile, and it threw it to one of the Gligar, but not the one we knew, and it started to glow.

"What's going on?" Dawn asked.

"That Gliscor's tooth was a Razor Fang!" Brock said. "A Razor Fang is what Gligar use to evolve into Gliscor!"

Sure enough, that Gligar evolved into Gliscor, and led its friends out of the wind maze and towards the Pokémon Center. The original Gliscor said something to the new Gliscor, and the new Gliscor nodded, and led the Gligar away.

"What'd he say?" I asked Judah.

"The old Gliscor told the new Gliscor to take care of itself and its family," Judah translated. "It used its Razor Fang to make one of the other Gligar then new leader of the team."

"But where's the Gligar we know?" I asked, and the answer came in the form of a Gligar flying from the truck and crashing into Ash.

"I guess that answers that," Jeremy said, frowning.

"Are you okay?" Ash asked, and the Pokémon nodded, sticking its tongue out and laughing.

"Now, go Poké Ball!" Paul said, and threw the object at the Gliscor.

"Oh no, you don't!" James said, and deflected the ball with his arm. When he did, Paul ran towards James, who didn't have a chance to run with Ursaring and Magmar cutting him off.

"You'll pay for that!" Paul said, and gave a powerful kick to James' abdomen, sending him flying into Ursaring, who in turn picked him up and threw him into the wreckage of the truck.

"JAMES!" Jeremy and I cried, and Ash got up to help him.

With no one else standing in his way, Paul threw another Poké Ball, but Ash's Pikachu and Pikachutwo deflected the ball into his face with their tails. Paul snapped his fingers angrily, and Electabuzz punched the two Mouse Pokémon into the wall. Ash cried out in horror, and Paul threw another Poké Ball, which successfully caught Gliscor. He then picked up the ball that caught his new Pokémon, and examined it with his Pokédex.

_Gliscor – Lv. 45  
Moves: X-Scissor, Guillotine, Sandstorm, Knock Off  
12/25/28/21/28/29_

"This Gliscor may be even more useful than I thought," he said to himself, and put his Pokédex away. He then recalled Electabuzz, Magmar, and Weavile.

Just then, the same Gligar roared at Paul, and charged at him. Paul simply kicked it out of his way, and sent it flying towards a building. Ash jumped between the two to cushion Gligar's impact, but he got the wind knocked out of him. Gligar chattered at him worriedly, but Ash petted it head, smiling.

"It's okay, Gligar," Ash said as he got up. "I'm fine."

Just then, we heard the new Gliscor and the other Gligar from above us, and they waved us goodbye.

"I guess they're finally leaving," Nurse Joy said.

"That's a relief," I sighed.

"Don't get yourselves lost again!" Ash cheered, and waved them goodbye.

"Now, as for you," Officer Jenny said, turning to Paul, "you'd better have a good explanation for why you did what you did, young man."

"I told you before, I was catching a wild Pokémon," Paul stated. "It's not my fault you got in may way."

"Excuse me!?" Officer Jenny said incredulously. "Is that any way to talk to someone in authority over you?"

"I don't see the issue," Paul said. "I shouldn't have to explain myself to anyone."

"Okay, you're coming down to the station with me," Officer Jenny said as she reached for Paul's arm, "and we're going to have a long talk with your parents."

"I'm not going anywhere but Veilstone City!" Paul said, jumping back and pulling a dark stone out of his jacket pocket. "I've had it with you weak softies and this loser town! I'm out of here!"

"That's a Dusk Stone!" Brock noted.

"Murkrow, catch!" Paul said, and threw the Dusk Stone into the air, and Murkrow caught the stone in its beak, causing it to evolve into a bigger and meaner looking Pokémon.

"That's a Honchkrow!" James said.

Just then, Paul jumped up into the air and landed on Honchkrow's back.

"Fly me to Veilstone City!" he barked, and the Pokémon obeyed, flying off into the distance in a flash, leaving the rest of us confused and angry.

"Paul…" Ash hissed, "what happened to you?"

"Do you know that boy?" Officer Jenny asked us.

"His name is Paul," I explained. "He and Ash have met a few time within the past few months, and he's got a bad record of harshly training his Pokémon and releasing them if they don't meet his standards."

"He actually physically and mentally abused his Chimchar," Jeremy added, "and Ash took it in after he released it after the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition."

"Wait, the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition?" Officer Jenny said, clearly recognizing the event. "I remember watching that on TV a month ago! You're saying he abused that Chimchar?"

"He's not nice to people either," Ash added angrily. "He hurt my Turtwig on purpose during that fight and didn't apologize or think twice at all!"

"And now he's gone and done this," Brock said, frowning.

"This is low, even for him," James hissed, and Judah growled.

"I knew something in his aura bugged me," Judah said. "It's so bad, it's almost evil."

"Almost, but not quite," Jeremy said. "His actions were wrong, but his purpose is not. All Trainers seek strong Pokémon in order to be strong, but what defines us as Trainers is how we accomplish that goal."

"And the way he does things couldn't be any more wrong!" Ash growled, and clenched his fists in hate.

"You'll beat him in time, Ash," Brock said calmly, "you just need to be patient and calm."

Hearing Brock's words, Ash took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Just then, Gligar jumped into his arms and clamped its pincers around Ash's body. It took almost everything Ash had to pry the Pokémon off of him.

"Why didn't you go back with your friends?" Ash asked.

"I think it's obvious," James said, "it really likes you."

"Does it?" Ash asked.

"Trust a guy who's had every one of his Pokémon, Grass-Type or otherwise, shower him with affection," James nodded.

Ash looked at Gligar, who stuck its tongue out and grinned at him. Ash looked at it and finally grinned himself.

"Okay, then you can come with us!" Ash said, and threw a Poké Ball into the air. It opened itself when it landed on Gligar's head, and within a few seconds of whirring, the beep rang out and the ball sparkled, signaling that the capture was successful.

"All right!" Ash cheered, holding his newly caught Pokémon in victory. "I caught a Gligar!"

Pikachu cheered for him, and we all felt pretty good about this. Paul may have been especially cruel today, but with a new friend along for the ride, this bad day turned out to be a good day. With these thoughts in mind, we headed to the lower floors of the Pokémon Center for some much-deserved rest, and then we would be on our way to Veilstone City.

Or so we thought.

Suddenly, Ash collapsed to the ground and groaned in pain. Gligar popped out of its Poké Ball and cradled its new master in its arms as we all rushed to his side. Judah started moving his paws across Ash's body, trying to see what was wrong. Suddenly, when he got to Ash's midsection, he gasped.

"The blow was to his abdomen," Judah assessed, "and his liver and spleen have been bruised. None of his crucial internal organs have been punctured, however."

"Oh no," Dawn gasped, and then we noticed James hunch over as well.

Judah repeated the same procedure and his eyes grew wide. "James' condition, however, is much worse. One of his ribs has been fractured, and his kidneys have been bruised."

"Dear God," I gasped, and Jeremy helped James to his feet.

"We need to get him to a hospital right away!" Brock said, and we all rushed to the nearest hospital, which was right next door to the Pokémon Center.

(-o-)

Officer Jenny assisted us in taking care of Ash and James, while Nurse Joy took care of their Pokémon, who had been injured by Paul's brutal Pokémon capturing techniques. Brock looked appalled by Paul's cruelty. He had seen Paul do some mean things in the past, but never once had he imagine that he would do something so obscene and not feel any remorse whatsoever. Dawn was worried about Pikachu and Pikachutwo, who were also victims of Paul's heartless actions. Clearly, Paul didn't care who got in his way, not even Officer Jenny's arrest threats so much as intimidated him.

"What is the matter with that kid?" I asked. "Why does he have to be so cruel?"

"I should think that obvious," Jeremy stated, his eyes narrowed. "He thinks power is all that matters, and he'll stop at nothing to become powerful, no matter how he does so. He doesn't care who he trashes or how many Pokémon he throws away."

"That's powerful thinking," Brock said.

"I have that mindset," Jeremy shrugged.

Just then, Judah came into the room.

"The good news is that their injuries were only minor and that Ash will be back on the road by tomorrow afternoon," Judah said, "but the bad news is that James will have to stay here in bed for at least 5 days."

"Five days?" we gasped.

"I'm afraid so," Judah nodded. "Doctor's orders."

"Well," I said, "I guess we'll just have to make due."

With this in mind, we each headed off to bed, our thoughts on Paul's new cruelty weighing heavily in our minds. I felt that things were going to be a lot more intense within the coming months, but I felt that, as long as we knew what was right and followed our beliefs, we could take anything that came our way. With that in mind, I let out Terra, who came up with me on the bed, and I pulled something out of my backpack: an elf doll that my father gave to me when I was just a little girl: Mister Puck. Holding him close to my heart and petting Terra's head, who smiled, I drifted off to a sound sleep in no time.

* * *

**A/N: For a long time, I decided over whether or not I should re-watch the episodes to know the lines, but I decided to write some of my own since this is MY story, after all. Also, because this is my story, I had to remove our Team Rocket trio as a villainous factor in this series since they are (or, in Jessie's case, going to be) the good guys. So who's the new villain in this series? If you really read this and didn't just skip to the end, you'd know that it's Paul. I decided I'd get my revenge on the writers for making Paul a Karma Houdini by making him a brutal villain who will be taken down in the most humiliating way possible. What that way is, you'll have to see when I make that chapter.**

**Also, Paul's readout on his Pokédex stated Gliscor's IV stats and level. I thought that was what he did with his Pokédex, which is how he knew the moves and level of the Pokémon he caught.**

**Sorry to all of you Paul fans, but he isn't a "strong trainer", he's a cruel and heartless boy who needed a physical punishment, his license revoked, and have his Pokémon taken away and never be allowed to carry them again. Feel free to disagree with me, but that's my two cents.**

**As Odin would say, "PAUL IS A VAIN, GREEDY, CRUEL BOY!"**

**Anyways, please look forward to the next chapter!**

**-JeremyX signing off!**


	7. A New Beginning

**A/N: AT LONG LAST! I AM DONE WITH CALCULUS AND I CAN WRITE MORE STORIES!**

**Something very good happens here, so please read from start to finish to get all the juicy ****Pokémon**-filled goodness!

**IT'S OVER 10,000 WORDS! I FEEL SO ACCOMPLISHED!**

**Pokémon (C) 1995-2014 Pokémon, Nintendo, GAME FREAK, Creatures**

**Code Lyoko (C) 2002-2014 MoonScoop, France 3**

**Please support the official release, I own nothing.**

* * *

Chapter 7 – A New Beginning

(-o-) Prologue: Recovery Speeches (-o-)

**Jeremy's POV**

True to the doctor's word, James' recovery was very slow and, judging from the looks of those X-rays, definitely needed those five days off. I remembered the attack on the Pokémon Day-Care Center, and assumed that James may not have fully recovered from those injuries. True, he may have been able to withstand 10,000 volts of electricity running through his body on a regular basis when he was in Team Rocket, but even a tough guy like James was far from invincible. Ash, Dawn, and Brock once considered him an enemy, but also knew that he was more than just a common criminal. Ash and Brock knew this more than Dawn since they had encountered James more times than Dawn. Ash was lucky that he could get off his bed today, but even he had to stay cooped up for the rest of the day to stay on the safe side.

Judah and I walked by James' room early the next morning, and we saw that his Pokémon were staring at him through the glass, heartsick for their beloved Trainer and dear friend. It was in witnessing this scene that I could see just how close the bond between James and his Pokémon really was. Mime Jr., Carnivine, and Cacturne looked like they were going to cry, and Golbat and Pikachutwo also looked very sad, though it was probably slightly less emotional for them since they had only recently joined James' party. But the fact that the new additions still cared about him this much showed how much he meant to them and how much they meant to him.

Eventually, Cacturne turned away and started talking to me. I noticed the holes that made up its mouth were twisted in an angry scowl. I figured that his bond with James was stronger due to the fact that it had been with him longer than any of his other current Pokémon.

"Judah, care to translate?" I asked of my partner.

"He's asking if there's a place outside where they all can train," Judah replied. "James told Cacturne and the gang to get some fresh air while he's in bed, and they all want to blow off some steam."

"I take it that James has told you about our recent encounter with Paul?" I asked Cacturne, and he and all his other Pokémon nodded, with angry looks on their faces. Pikachutwo said something, and I looked to Judah again.

"He's saying, 'We want to make ourselves stronger so that when we face him again, we'll be strong enough to pound his face into the dirt like the garbage he is.'" Judah translated.

"I agree with you on the fact that Paul has gone too far," I said to James' Pokémon, "but the fact is that his Pokémon are immensely powerful and you might not stand a chance against them, even with all of the training you can do."

They all looked confused and upset, so I elaborated, sitting down in a chair next to the door of James' room. "Think about things: you're composed of two admittedly slow Grass-Type Pokémon, one small Electric-Type, a barely powerful Poison/Flying-Type, and a baby Psychic-Type. How much of you have had actual battling experience outside of your days in Team Rocket?"

Cacturne was about to reply, but he stopped himself short, realizing what I was trying to get across. However, Pikachutwo angrily shouted something, and started sparking.

"'Don't mistake me for a weakling!' he says," Judah translated. "'My genetics were built to ensure that I was far more powerful than any ordinary Pikachu, maybe even as powerful as a Raichu! Need I remind you that my genetic template was Ash Ketchum's Pikachu, whose power succeeds its species' highest evolutionary level? I was created to be more powerful than the most powerful Pikachu on this planet!' He sure seems pretty passionate about this, Jeremy."

"But you're thinking with your heart when you should be thinking with your brain," I said, and Pikachutwo looked confused.

"It's true that you are very powerful," I went on, "but you don't have the experience that Ash's Pikachu and his other Pokémon have, and that's where true power and skill come from." I looked at James' other Pokémon, and continued. "You guys all have what is needed to defeat this cruel boy, and that's the will to win. But the Book of James 2:17 said, 'faith without works is dead.' You need to have more than faith, you gotta have skill and power, and that comes from having lots of battles." I chuckled to myself. "Imagine that, a Bible verse from someone with the same name as your Trainer, what are the odds?"

Cacturne, Carnivine, and even Pikachutwo laughed lightly at this, and I grinned.

"So all we need to do is make sure that you've got the works to back up your faith in James and in each other!" I said, and headed out of the hospital. "There's a workout center for Pokémon next door; what do you say to some training?"

The reaction was a unanimous tidal wave of enthusiastic Pokémon running out the door.

"That was a great speech there," I heard a voice say, and I turned around to see Aelita come up from behind me.

"Well, I have had some tough customers in the past," I said, reminding her of when she learned of her true past.

"That is true," she nodded, and then walked out the door. "Am I free to join your regimen?"

"Any time, Aelita," I said as we both walked out the door to join James' Pokémon. "Any time at all."

(-o-)

I was thoroughly impressed at the will and stamina of James' Pokémon. They trained hard but did not push themselves too far, and knew exactly when to stop and did so just for a moment to regain their stamina. It was as if a new sense of purpose had been instilled inside of them, and it was quite a sight to behold. In addition to training their bodies to take on most attacks, almost each one of them learned a new move.

Carnivine had learned how to use Vine Whip after whipping its leafy arms at a practice dummy in an attempt to learn Razor Leaf. Cacturne did not learn any new moves, but his Drain Punch looked even more powerful than before, as was its Needle Arm. Mime Jr., on the other hand, learned how to use Light Screen, Reflect, and even Confusion. My Pokédex stated that Mime Jr. was close to evolving since it knew Mimic. Apparently, Mimic was required for Mime Jr. and Bonsly to evolve into Mr. Mime and Sudowoodo respectively. Pikachutwo learned Thunder, which was a more powerful but less accurate version of Thunderbolt, as well as Light Screen and Double Team in addition to his Quick Attack. Judah told me that Pikachu can only learn its speedy attacks as a Pikachu and it couldn't learn them after evolving into Raichu.

Eventually, Aelita and I, along with all of our Pokémon, joined in with the others and started training as well. They were just as angry at Paul as the rest of us, but they knew that slow and steady would win the race, as the saying went. Judah looked great, fast and strong, and Marvin was making up for its poor defense with its high speed and potent psychic powers. Draco also was progressing in leveling up, almost to the point of evolving, but did not learn any moves.

The rest of our Pokémon, however, were slightly more fortunate. Judah now knew, in addition to Aura Sphere, Drain Punch, and Shadow Punch, he learned Thunder Punch, but forgot Bullet Punch. Marvin forgot Psybeam and learned Psychic, a much more powerful move, but still retained Shadow Ball, Reflect, and Light Screen. Draco did not learn any new moves, but came very close to evolving, according to the data on my Pokédex.

Aelita also made progress with her Pokémon. Terra now knew how to use Razor Leaf, Bite, Synthesis, and Mega Drain. Mabel learned how to use Wing Attack, in addition to Twister, Steel Wing, and Whirlwind, and she evolved into Pidgeot before our startled eyes. Matilda did not learn any new moves, but grew much stronger with its psychic attacks and with reading Aelita's commands, as did the rest of her Pokémon.

"I see you guys are hard at work," someone said, and we turned around to see Ash and the others come up to us from behind.

His Pikachu was on his shoulder, and soon jumped to the ground. Aelita and I were glad to see that both of them had fully recovered, and both looked ready to do some serious training.

"We've realized that we need to get a lot stronger than we are if we want to compete with guys like you," I said.

"Well, do you mind if I joined in?" Ash asked, holding out a Poké Ball.

"But are you sure you should do this?" Aelita asked. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"The doctor gave me the OK to get out of bed early," Ash grinned, "just so long as I take it easy for a while and stay here for the rest of the day." His cheeky smile soon turned into a hateful frown. "Besides, I wanna get back at Paul for hurting James, Pikachu, and Pikachutwo. Not to mention what he did to Gligar and how he caught Gliscor."

"That kid's got serious issues," I assessed. "Have you ever seen him do something like that before?"

"No, not at all," Dawn shook her head.

"Though he did almost refuse to take his Pokémon to a Pokémon Center after Cynthia beat him," Brock noted, rubbing his chin in thought. "But Cynthia stopped him before he could leave, and that was quite a long time ago."

"He did the same thing after Jeremy beat his Magmar a week ago," Aelita nodded, "but no one stopped him from doing nothing about Magmar."

"I was about to," I said, "But then Officer Jenny showed up, responding to a call about our fight getting more than a bit rowdy. I told her about Paul, but he was gone before she showed up."

"Criminals fear getting caught," Judah said, frowning. "There's something in that guy's aura that makes me sick to my stomach every time I see him or even think about him, and I don't like it one little bit."

"I know what you mean, Judah," Ash nodded, growling. "I'm actually glad that Cynthia beat him. I felt a bit sorry for him, but that sympathy was as fleeting as a Vigoroth's tranquility."

"That's a powerful comparison, Ash," Judah said, "considering that they're berserk by nature."

"And that's my point!" Ash growled. "That guy gets told time and time again that he needs to treat his Pokémon better, but he never listens! It's like he intentionally ignores them as if he thinks that they're stupid or wrong or both!"

"How about we take our anger at Paul and channel it into our determination to get better?" Aelita asked. "If we just sit here and complain about Paul being Paul, nothing is going to change. But if we do something about it, we'll have managed our temper and made ourselves stronger to boot!"

"Man, you're pretty smart, Aelita," Ash grinned and brought out his Pokémon. "Okay, everyone, come on out!"

Turtwig, Chimchar, Staravia, Buizel, and Gligar popped out and gave a cry of delight as they leaped onto Ash, knowing that he was okay.

"Okay guys, get off, I gotta take it easy," Ash said, shaking his friends off of him. "All right, gang, we gotta get lots and lots stronger if we're going to beat Paul the next time we meet him! So are you ready for some training?" The reply was a unanimous cry of approval from everyone, who all stared working on the training dummies in the corner of the room.

Though none of Ash's Pokémon learned any new moves, his Turtwig finally mastered the control of Energy Ball. Buizel looked faster and stronger than ever before, and so was Staravia. Ash took things nice and slow with Chimchar, working on improving smaller attacks like Dig and Scratch first, and then began working on improving larger attacks like Flame Wheel and Flamethrower. He also took things slow with Gligar, who was rather nervous about battling. However, its move set of Steel Wing, Sand Attack, and X-Scissor were pretty impressive for its level.

After what seemed like a few minutes when it was actually an hour, Ash's stomach began to rumble.

"Oh man," Ash moaned. "I was so pumped up to start training, I forgot about breakfast…"

"That's our Ash," Dawn chuckled, smiling, which was very reassuring given her current demeanor.

"Well," Brock said, getting up from his bench, "I guess I'd better get started putting breakfast on the table."

"I'll give you a hand," I said, and Judah nodded as well.

"Thanks for the help," Brock nodded, and we went off to the gym kitchen.

(-o-)

(-o-) Chapter 1: The History of Team Rocket (-o-)

**Aelita's POV**

After Jeremy helped Brock make breakfast for us, which was well received by us and our Pokémon, Jeremy called us together for an important announcement.

"I think that we should get James a present for when he gets released from the hospital," he said.

"What do you mean by that?" Ash asked.

"Jeremy and I put some thought into it last night," I explained, "and we're asking for two things: The first is your opinion on a new set of clothes for James, and the second is getting him licensed as a legitimate Pokémon Trainer."

"You mean like one who goes to Gyms and earns Badges?" Brock asked, clearly intrigued.

"Since Aelita and I can earn Badges," Jeremy said, "it's only natural that we don't want James to be left out. Besides, without a Trainer ID, he can't buy any items from Pokémon Markets, catch more than six Pokémon, or participate in any officially sanctioned Pokémon Battle, Gym Battles or otherwise."

"You know, I never thought of it that way before," Dawn said. "James never got a Pokémon Trainer's License from a Professor, did he?"

"No, he was enrolled in a special school for rich children or those with high social standing families when he was a young boy," I replied. "The school was known as Pokémon Technical Institute or Pokémon Tech for short. If he passed a test, he'd qualify to get into the Indigo Pokémon League without having to earn any Badges."

"Wait, Pokémon Tech?" Ash asked. "I've heard of that school before! Heck, I've been there before!"

"Yeah, we heard about how James and Jessie met in that school!" Brock added, nodding.

"Those two met in a rich kid's school?" Dawn asked, incredulous. "But I thought James said that Jessie was dirt poor when she was a kid!"

"She was," Jeremy nodded, "but her mother got her into the school before she… disappeared."

"Disappeared?" all three of the kids asked us.

"No one knows what happened to her," I said. "All Jessie can remember is that her mother supported her home and food using funds she got as a grunt in Team Rocket."

"Wow, Team Rocket's been around for that long?" Ash contemplated out loud.

"Her name was Miyamoto Matthews," I said, "and she was as clever a woman as there ever was."

"James looked up her records in the Team Rocket database a while back," Jeremy explained.

"Well, getting back to James," Ash said, "the clothes will be easy enough, but how in the world could we go about getting him a Pokémon License?"

"That's why I called this session," Jeremy said. "We need you to convince Professor Oak to allow him a spot on your ranch to leave the Pokémon that he catches."

"Are you crazy!?" Ash gasped. "Professor Oak knows who James is, and he doesn't know him like we do! He'll never say yes!"

"Which is why you need to talk to him," I said. "Ash, you need to get Professor Oak to see that James has changed, because then other people will see that he has changed as well."

"Why not ask Professor Rowan?" Dawn asked. "He's probably never even met James before."

"Because James isn't from Sinnoh," Brock reasoned. "You can only apply for a Pokémon License in the region you were born in, even though it's legal throughout the world. It's a protocol that the League put in to keep out counterfeiters and Trainers who try to apply for multiple licenses under the same name."

"Well, it won't be easy, that's for sure," Ash said, sighing, "but I don't think that it's impossible."

"So can we count on you to help our young friend?" I asked.

"Young?" they all asked, clearly confused.

"You don't even know how old he is?" Jeremy asked.

"I've got no clue," Ash shook his head.

"Neither do I," Brock added.

"He joined Team Rocket when he was fifteen," Jeremy stated. "He told me yesterday that he would be turning twenty-four in a month or so."

"Then he's only five years older than me!" Brock gasped, clearly taken aback.

"And that's ten years older than I am!" Ash added, shocked as well. "He's been legally able to carry Pokémon for as long as I've been alive!"

"I had no idea that he was so young," Dawn stated, also surprised. "And to think the life of Team Rocket was all that he and Jessie have known for as long as any of us have been around!"

"What about Jessie?" Ash asked. "How old is she?"

"Well, James said she might kill him for letting anyone else know," Jeremy said, "but she had been in Team Rocket for three years before James came into the picture, and she first joined them when she was thirteen."

"Whoa," Ash whistled. "I had no idea that these guys had been in the dumps for practically their entire lives. Now I feel kinda bad for some of the stuff I said about them."

"You couldn't have known," I said, trying to reassure him.

"Hold on," Dawn said, "either I'm clueless here or you're not explaining things in order. I'm barely grasping this here, who joined Team Rocket first?"

"Well, I'll start with James," Jeremy said. "You all know by now that he was born into a filthy rich family with everyone catering to his every material need. However, they gave no care in the world about his emotional needs, and forced him in all kinds of trivial and menial classes that he had no interest in at all to make him a 'respectable high-class gentleman'. They claimed that they respected his feelings and opinions, but they really cared only about themselves and didn't care what he thought."

"That's pretty mean," Dawn said. "Who knew that parents could be so bad to their kids?"

"I read a newspaper article once," Brock noted, "and it said that people with a very high income have less empathy than people with a small income. It's not that they're bad, they're just not attuned to other people's feelings, particularly those with less money than them."

"A strong person who has known power all his life may lose respect for that power," Judah said, "but a weak man knows the value of strength, and knows compassion."

"What was that, Judah?" Ash asked.

"Something my elders have told me all my life," he replied, "but I never thought I'd be in its presence."

"He told me that he never had his parents around to enjoy his birthdays," Jeremy continued, "and that they never took him out to any fun places. They forced him to work in school for his entire childhood."

"Man, that's rough," Ash said sadly. "I can't even imagine my mom making me work with no playing."

"Then how would you feel if they forced you into an engagement with a girl you barely even knew?" I asked. "That's what happened between James and Jessebelle. Every day, she tried to change him to suit her elitist personality, and he would not submit to a slave-driver like her."

"Doesn't that seem a bit overdramatic?" Dawn asked, skeptically.

"I thought so too," Judah said, "but I saw some of his memories in his aura, and he's telling the truth, for the most part. Jessebelle tried to take over his entire life and didn't care about what he felt in the least."

"Wow, I had no idea," Dawn said, now grasping the situation.

"Jessie was even sadder, according to James," I said. "If James was The Prince, then she was The Pauper. Her relatives used up all of the money from her insurance when her father died when she was seven."

"How awful," Brock growled, and Ash and Dawn nodded.

"It was kind of foreseeable how her mother, Miyamoto, would join up with Team Rocket: to support Jessie," I continued. "It may not have been the best option, but it was literally all that she had. She never went to school, no one would hire her, and she needed to keep food on the table."

"Her last mission, according to the intel James got," I said, "was a mission to the Andes mountains to capture the mythical Pokémon Mew."

"MEW!?" they all gasped.

"But that's the rarest Pokémon alive!" Brock shouted. "Why would Team Rocket need it?"

"Mewtwo," Jeremy replied. "They were going to augment and amplify Mew's genes to create a powerful Pokémon, which they named Mewtwo."

"So Jessie's mom was part of Mewtwo's creation?" Ash gasped.

"Exactly," Jeremy nodded. "But the records show that she perished in a sudden avalanche that appeared out of nowhere. Some of the higher-ups in Team Rocket thought that it was caused by Mew, who was trying to avoid capture."

"But what about Jessie?" Ash asked.

"Well," I replied, "her grandfather took her in and had enough money to enroll her in Pokémon Tech when she was ten, but she flunked out and ran away from home, not wanting to see the ashamed look on her granddad's face. She tried to enroll in a Pokémon nursing school with a Chansey she befriended, but they wouldn't let her in because she kept falling asleep whenever Chansey used Sing."

"Well, that's just stupid!" Dawn huffed, surprisingly angry. "Why'd you kick someone out of a school for something they can't help but do?"

"After that, her life went everywhere," I said, "She was once a model and went on many dates, but the staff and her boyfriends treated her badly and she ran away from everything, eventually joining Team Rocket to gain the fame and glory she so desperately needed to survive in this world."

"And Meowth?" Brock asked.

"Well, that's a sad story if the other two weren't," I said. "The poor Pokémon was abandoned shortly after he was born, without a friend or anyone it could call family. He didn't even have place he could call home."

"No family, no friends, not even a home?" Ash said, beginning to tear up. "That's horrible!"

"Well, he did have a home, technically speaking," I said. "It was a summer camp in California called Camp Pokéhearst."

"Wait, California?" Dawn gasped. "As in one of the fifty United States of America?"

"That's the one," I nodded. "They never let him have any of their food, and when he tried to take it, they'd hang him from a tree by his neck and say he deserved it."

"That's so cruel!" Brock hissed, now very angry. I assumed that this was because, as a Pokémon Breeder, he cared a lot about the well-being of all Pokémon.

"But one night," Judah said, "he saw a movie about a happy Meowth with a loving family. He decided that, since it took place and was filmed in Hollywood, that he should go there for food and a family he could call his own."

"Did he find it?" Ash asked.

"Yes and no," I replied. "He found a family of Meowth, led by a Persian, who took to stealing food from the local vendors around town. But since they treated him like trash even when he approached them nicely, it would stand to reason as to why he'd rather take the direct approach."

"Speaking of which," Judah continued, "this next part is how he learned how to talk. He saw a female Meowth from a shop window, and fell in love at first sight. However, her owner kicked our Meowth to the curb, both figuratively and literally, and the female Meowth, who was given the nickname Meowzie, told Meowth that since he had no money that he was worthless in her eyes. Plus, humans could give her anything she ever wanted while Meowth, since he was just a Pokémon, could give Meowzie nothing."

"Now that's just plain shallow," Ash said, folding his arms, and Pikachu growled as well.

"But he took those words to heart," Judah went on, "and after a whole year of trying, he learned how to walk and talk like a human. He approached Meowzie again, showing how he could give her what she wanted since he was more human-like, but she rejected him again, this time calling him a total freak."

"A freak!?" Brock roared. "That's horrible! She might as well have taken his heart and crushed it with her bare paws!"

"But that's what gave him the hint to join Team Rocket," Jeremy said. "James told me that Meowth read a picture book about the alphabet in order to learn how to talk, and the first words he said was, 'R is for rocket'."

"What about Meowzie?" Ash asked, frustrated at the feline's heartlessness.

"Her owner went completely bankrupt many years ago and had to release her," Judah replied. "She joined up with Persian's gang, and met Meowth again when you all went to Hollywood for that movie James told me about. _Pokémon in Love_, I think it was."

"Oh yeah, I remember that," Ash growled, frustrated again. "We were supposed to be in the movie, but he cut us out of the movie and had the nerve to invite us after he couldn't get any celebrities to come."

"But what about Meowzie?" Dawn asked.

"Meowth and Persian fought for her, and Meowth won," I said. "But Meowzie was loyal to Persian, since he took her in when no one else would. And she didn't want to go with Meowth, since she still thought of him as a freak."

"And that's why I can't stand rich people," Ash grumbled, and Pikachu nodded.

"And that's the pith of the story," Jeremy said. "They had terrible lives since the day they were born, and Team Rocket promised them the world, so they took it. But now they see the bad choice that hey made and want to quit taking orders from liars and thieves, and live their lives the way they want to."

"I can't believe I'm hearing myself say this," Ash said, "but I'm glad that they're coming clean."

"When I saw how he was with Cacturne when it was still a Cacnea," Dawn said, "I saw that it really loved him and he really loved it back. Real criminals can't make those kinds of bonds overnight, nor do they bother to fake them."

"To top it off, they've helped us out a few times in the past," Brock added. "It's the least we could do for them after all that they've done for themselves and us."

"So we can count on you guys to put in a good word to Professor Oak?" Jeremy asked.

"It's a deal," Ash nodded, smiling.

"Great," Jeremy grinned. "Now I can fill out his license application form and buy his Badge and Ribbon cases."

"You're going to buy all that stuff for him?" Ash asked.

"Well, he's not the only one who's well off, you know," Jeremy grinned.

"You mean that you're rich too?" Dawn gasped.

"His mother's a relatively famous computer scientist," I said, "and his dad's a well-known and highly-respected fitness instructor. Plus they grow spices in their herb gardens and make a big profit by selling them to pharmacies and research plants."

"But unlike James' parents," Jeremy said, "I don't flaunt my wealth or let it destroy my moral standing."

"Well, that's good for you," Dawn said, still stunned.

"I was hoping that you'd help us with picking out James' new outfits, Dawn," I said. "You seem to have a fashionable eye, and we could use that kind of skill."

"Really?" Dawn gasped, her eyes wide. "Do you think so? Wow, I'd love to help! This sounds kinda fun!"

"Good to hear," I smiled. "And that would leave you two to deal with Professor Oak, ok?"

"You got it!" Ash nodded, and so did Brock.

"Then let's put our plan into motion!" Jeremy said, and we all were off.

(-o-)

**Ash's POV**

While Aelita, Dawn, and Jeremy went to pick out a new outfit for James, Brock and I called up Professor Oak to tell him of what had recently transpired. Nurse Joy let us use the PC in a private lobby since I didn't want everyone to know about James being with us just yet. While the phone was ringing, I saw that Cacturne and Mime Jr. came up to observe the call. Judah had stayed behind to translate their words to the Professor, as verification of their turning over a new leaf, as well as their Trainer's.

Just then, the video lit up with the face of the man who gave me Pikachu and started us both out on our Pokémon journey. "Well, it's nice to see you, Ash! What's the occasion? Do you have any Pokémon that you need to exchange?"

"Not this time, Professor Oak," I shook my head. "I was hoping you could help with a Trainer license issue."

"Issue?" Professor Oak asked, now looking quite confused. "What kind of an issue?"

"Well, I've got a friend from Kanto who's here in Sinnoh," I said, "and he wants to get his license, but he can't since he's in Sinnoh now and you can only apply in the place you were born in."

"Well, that is true," the professor nodded. "Well, I'm sure I can help with that! What's his name?"

"And that's the other half of the issue," I said, and inhaled deeply before continuing. "It's James."

"James?" Professor Oak asked, puzzled, until his eyes widened. "Wait, as in James from Team Rocket!?"

"_Formerly_ of Team Rocket!" I said, albeit half-heartedly. I was still finding it hard to believe myself.

"But why would you want to do anything like that?" he asked. "And what do you mean 'formerly'?"

"He got fired," I said, matter-of-factly. "They're sending men after him to take his Pokémon away as we speak! He's truly sorry about all that he's done, and he plans to make it up to the whole world by destroying Team Rocket for good!"

"And you believed that?" Oak asked incredulously. "Do you have any proof?"

"Why don't you ask these guys?" I asked, and Cacturne and Mime Jr. showed themselves to the Professor. "Also, have you read that Sinnoh papers lately?"

"Not really, why?" he asked.

"Look at this," I said, and Brock pulled up two newspaper articles on the internet, which Professor Oak could see due to the conference call screen. The first paper's headline article was of a mysterious man saving a little girl and her family from a Team Rocket agent two months ago, complete with a drawing of James and Pikachutwo.

The second paper's headline picture was of James in front of the Pokémon Day Care outside of Solaceon Town, which was taken two weeks ago. It showed James, Pikachutwo, and all the Pokémon that were in his care. It also says that two children, who were newly licensed Pokémon Trainers, helped him stop Pokémon Hunter J from stealing some of the Pokémon who were there at risk of great physical harm to James, some of which came to him when he stopped J's Drapion from destroying the Day Care building.

While Professor Oak was reading the articles, his eyes growing wide with each word he read, Cacturne and Mime Jr. argued for James' defense in the Pokémon language.

"They say that James is a good guy and never treated his Pokémon bad," Judah said, translating.

"Amazing!" Professor Oak said, turning away from the articles to focus on Judah. "I've never seen a talking Riolu before in all my life! I've never even seen a normal Riolu! Is that one yours, Ash?"

"No, he's not mine," I shook my head. "He belongs to a friend named Jeremy, who I met a week ago."

"My name is Judah," Judah said, smiling. "It's an honor to meet you, Professor Oak."

"The honor is mine!" the professor smiled. "So were you translating what those Pokémon said?"

"Yes," he nodded. "They're James' Cacturne and Mime Jr., and they want you to know how much he means to them. They said that he may have been in Team Rocket, but he's still a good person. If he wasn't, then we would not be here saying these things about him."

Cacturne then said something and Judah translated. "True criminals don't treat their Pokémon with love and care like James does to us. He was willing to give up his happiness so I would get stronger not too long ago."

Mime Jr. also had something to say. "I never would have joined up with him if he wasn't a good person. I felt his kindness when I first met him. He was hurting inside and outside over losing a friend, and he desperately needed someone who could help him, and that's what I was."

"You're sure they're saying that?" Oak asked.

"I cannot tell a lie," Judah said, crossing his heart. "I'm telling you what their aura tells me, and it matches their spoken words flawlessly."

"Please, professor," I said. "He's had little to no true joys in his life, and Pokémon is all that he has."

Professor Oak contemplated on this, and then asked me something. "Can you pay for his license and his Pokédex?"

"Jeremy can," I said. "He's kind of rich, and he'll even pay extra for James to have a starter Pokémon."

Professor Oak sighed, and then nodded. "Well, I've trusted your judgment in the past, and it's come through so far. Okay, I'll fill out his license now and transport his things to you from here as soon as his forms are given the ok. Did he have anything in mind, or is this a surprise?"

"It is a surprise," I said, and picked up the phone. "If you could put your ear up to the speaker, Professor Oak, I'll tell you what I had in mind for his new Pokémon."

He did so, and I whispered into the microphone. "Ok, I see. Did this choice come from you?"

I nodded, and Professor Oak nodded as well. "All right, I'll get to writing up his license and I'll call you when everything has been taken care of! Don't go anywhere, ok?"

"You don't have to worry about that," I said, rubbing my still sore side. "I'm staying here for a while. Doctor's orders."

"Doctor's orders?" he asked, now concerned.

"We got into a fight with Paul the other day," I said, scowling. Professor Oak frowned as well, knowing who Paul was due to meeting Chimchar. "He wanted to catch a Gliscor that we were trying to help get back home! He used his own Pokémon to kick me out of the way and he even stopped Officer Jenny form stopping him!"

"My goodness, that sounds harsh!" Oak gasped, clearly surprised. "I've never heard of a Trainer using Pokémon to attack humans before!"

"That guy doesn't even deserve to call himself a Pokémon Trainer!" I growled. "I swear on my name and honor as a Pokémon Trainer that I'll beat him one of these days!"

"Paul may be cruel," Professor Oak grinned, "but in the end it's you who will rule!"

"Wow, thanks for the poem, Professor!" I chuckled. "I sure needed that!"

"Always happy to help, Ash!" he nodded. "I'll get to processing James' license and get back to you very soon!" He leaned in before he ended the call. "And don't worry, for now this is our little secret!"

With that, he hung up. I sighed with relief, and my side started to hurt again.

"Let's get you back to bed, big guy," Brock said, helping me to my room.

"Thanks, Brock," I smiled, sparing a glance at James in his own room before I shut the door to my room.

(-o-)

By the time Jeremy, Aelita, and Dawn got back with their outfit for James, I awoke to Brock rustling me awake form my power nap.

"Professor Oak is calling for you," Brock said, and I rushed to take the call.

"So is it done?" I asked. Jeremy, Aelita, and Dawn crowded around the screen to look at the Professor.

"Well, there's good news and bad news," he said, nervously.

"Well, how about we get the bad news out of the way first?" I asked, fearing the answer.

"Actually, I have to say the good news first," he said. "The good news is that James' Trainer License has been issued, and I'm sending it to you now via the PC Transport System. I've got to thank that boy Bill for his help."

"Hey, we met someone named Bill while in Kanto!" I said.

"The you'd remember that he's the fellow who invented the PC Storage System," Professor Oak said.

"That's kinda funny," Jeremy said. "A kid named Bill who works with computers. What are the odds?"

"Oh, and who might you be?" the professor addressed Jeremy.

"My names is Jeremy Belpois, Professor Oak," he replied. "It's an honor to meet you."

"I'm Aelita Schaeffer, his girlfriend," Aelita added. "We're newly licensed Pokémon Trainers in Sinnoh."

"Ash told me about you two," the professor nodded. "I met your partner, Judah, Jeremy. He helped to explain the situation about James to me by translating the words spoken by his Pokémon."

"That's my buddy alright," he said, patting Judah on the head, and Judah smiled.

"Speaking of the PC, that's the bad news," the professor said. "The new tract of land that I was about to buy to expand the ranch was just bought by someone else. As such, James can't send his Pokémon to my laboratory. There's simply not enough room for another Trainer's Pokémon, and I can't allow Ash to share his ranch with James, it's against the League rules."

"Darn it," Ash hissed.

"Well, what about my place?" Jeremy asked. "I've got my own Pokémon set to transfer over to one of my parent's pastures, and I'm sure they'd love to see more Pokémon that my friends have caught."

"Are you sure about this?" Professor Oak asked. "It's a big responsibility to be sure."

"It's nothing I haven't done before, Professor," Jeremy nodded. "I'm a very diligent person, and my parents and I love taking care of God's creatures. Not to mention my little brother Frankie could use some friends to keep him company while I'm away, and I'm sure our German Shepherd, Alex, would like someone to play with as well."

"I helped set up the technology before we left home," Aelita said. "My father is maintaining it while we are away, and my Pokémon are being sent to my home instead of Jeremy's. Dad's a very brilliant man."

"Well, I don't see any reason why not," Professor Oak said, and wired James' new Pokédex to his computer. "Can you provide the wavelength key for your network, Jeremy?"

"Sure thing, Professor," Jeremy nodded, and tapped several keys in rapid succession.

"Thank you very much," the professor said, unhooking James' Pokédex once the upload was completed. "James' Pokémon will now be sent directly to your family's house, and he's free to use his Pokédex to exchange Pokémon whenever he wants."

"Thanks a whole bunch, Professor Oak," Jeremy said. "You won't be sorry! I'll send you the check once his Pokédex arrives!"

"Then hold on!" Professor Oak said, and went to his desk.

He placed James' new items in a cardboard box, taped it shut, and placed the box inside of a rather large machine, which I guessed was the transporter. He pressed a few buttons, and it vanished in a crackle of electricity. Seconds later, it appeared before our very eyes in the Pokémon Transporter slot next to the PC we were using now.

"Thanks, Professor Oak," I said. "Something tells me that this is going to be sweet."

"Well, good luck and have fun, you all!" Professor Oak said, "and tell James to make sure that Team Rocket will fall!"

"Wow, another poem!" Dawn said, dreamily. "And from the poetry master himself, no less!"

"So long, Professor Oak!" I smiled, "and say hi to everyone else on the ranch for me!"

With a smile and a nod, he stopped the call. I took the box and opened it up, revealing James' brand-new Pokédex and a Poké Ball.

"Well, what Pokémon is it?" Dawn asked, giddy with excitement.

"Well, I'll show you," I said, "if you promise not to tell him until he gets it first."

"I promise!" Dawn said, crossing her heart.

"Okay then!" I said, and threw the Poké Ball into the air.

I would tell you what Pokémon it was, but there's a lot more to cover, plus I don't want to spoil anything yet. Jeremy and I had a plan for James to get stronger while he was still healing, and we were all hoping that he would love it.

(-o-)

(-o-) Chapter 2: A New Trainer Emerges (-o-)

**James' POV**

My entire body was aching when I went to bed last night, and it ached even more when I woke up this morning. The last thing I remember was that I had been told by the doctor to stay in bed and let my ribs heal and let my insides recover from their bruises. I could not bear to see the faces of my Pokémon, who were no doubt worried sick about me, but I had been told by the nurse that Jeremy and Aelita had taken them all down to a nearby workout gym for training. I was grateful that they were getting the battling experience that they desperately needed, but I was also said that I was not the one who was training them.

The nurse was kind enough to give me a dose of painkillers with my breakfast, which was a meager cup of applesauce and a glass of orange juice. She said my stomach might have had problems from the blow, so solid foods was out of the question for at least two days. I groaned in disappointment, but I knew she was right about what she was saying, after all it was her job to fix me up. Plus, I didn't want to risk my body not functioning properly just because I wanted a hot dog or a cheeseburger or something silly like that.

The day seemed to drag on forever, and, if not for the TV in my room and the colorful magazines that the nurse was kind enough to let me read, I was sure I would have died of boredom. However, that was soon busted when I noticed Ash, Brock, Dawn, Jeremy, Aelita, and a few of their Pokémon, as well as Mime Jr. and Pikachutwo enter the room after the nurse had given me my lunch: a protein shake, a fruit smoothie, and a cup of chocolate pudding. Ash had a small but important-looking box, and both he and Jeremy had a sneaky smile on their faces.

"Okay," I said, nervously, "why are you all here at this time of day and what's with the weird smiles?"

"Well," Ash said, "the guys and I wanted to thank you for trying to help save Gliscor, and we all really admired your bravery out there."

"I was only doing what my heart told me to do," I waved. "Nothing more and nothing less."

"And that's why we have this for you," Jeremy said, and Ash handed me the box.

"Is this a gift for me?" I asked, surprised.

"Shut up and open it!" Dawn said, giggling.

I shrugged and opened it, and gasped in surprise.

There were two things inside the box. One of them was a small red device that looked like a book, and the other was an all-too familiar spherical device: a Poké Ball. I tentatively reached into the box, pulled out the computer, opened it up, and it started to speak.

"I am Dexter 3.0," the machine said, "a Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak of Pallet Town and issued to Pokémon Trainer James Morgan of of Saffron City. My function is to provide James with information and advice regarding Pokémon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced."

"Is this really mine?" I asked, my voice light and airy with joy.

"It just said that it is, silly," Ash grinned. "I put in a good word to Professor Oak for you, and so did your Pokémon. Sadly, he doesn't have a ranch reserved for your Pokémon."

"But that's not an issue!" Jeremy said. "Your Poké Balls have been programmed to send any Pokémon you catch over the limit to a pasture at my home in France."

"Are you okay with this?" I asked. "Did your parents say yes?"

"They already know," he replied, "and they're okay with this. Now stop asking questions and open the Poké Ball to see your new partner!"

Reluctantly, I opened it, and a familiar figure popped out: a red blue-eyed lizard with a fire-tipped tail.

"A Charmander?!" I gasped.

"Everything has been paid for by yours truly," Jeremy said, bowing deeply and chuckling. "Quite a pretty penny it was, but it was well worth it to see you like this."

"You paid for all of this?" I gasped, extremely happy at my new friend. "How much do you have?"

"Not as much as your parents," he shrugged, "but it's along those lines."

"I… I…"I stuttered, unsure of what to say, but then I broke into tears and collapsed back onto my bed. "I feel so happy, like I've never felt before! Thank you for everything, you guys!"

"Hey, you're one of us now!" Ash cheered.

"You might as well get used to this!" Dawn added.

I smiled and petted my new friend on its head, and it smiled at me and cuddled up close to me on the bed. I felt so warm and happy inside that words could not describe my emotions at this point.

"You know," I said, feeling something come up from the dark recesses of my mind, "seeing Charmander reminds me of something a long time ago…"

I reached into my shirt pocket and pulled out a painted drawing on a card-sized stone tablet. I showed it to Ash and the others, and they all gasped.

"It's a Charizard!" Ash said.

"I drew this when I was staying at my nanny and pop-pop's house in the summer when I was seven," I said, "and I drew this after seeing a Charizard that they were taking care of. Its wings had gotten broken, and they helped it heal them and get it back to the air in no time. I decided then, after seeing how amazing that Charizard was, that I was going to become a Pokémon Trainer and raise a Charmander into a Charizard of my very own. Seeing Ash's Charizard actually helped me to still remember that dream."

"That's an amazing story," Dawn said.

"And there's something else in this for you," Jeremy said, giving me a bigger box than the other one.

I looked in this box, and saw a set of clothes that remarkably resembled my old suit from when I was a young lad. There was a dark blue zip-up hooded shirt, a plain white t-shirt, a short green scarf, a pair of loose black cargo shorts, white crew socks, and black sneakers.

"Now I paid a lot of money for these and your license," Jeremy said, with a menacing look. "Don't make me regret doing it, you hear me?"

I gulped hard. "I swear by the bible I will not betray your trust." My face loosened up into a smile soon after I said that. "In fact, I was hoping that you'd help me use these gifts."

"How so?" he asked.

"I want to ask if you can help me win my first two Gym Badges here in Sinnoh," I replied. "Specifically the ones in Oreburgh City and Eterna City."

"You want to enter the Sinnoh League?" Ash gasped. "But you just became a Trainer!"

"And that makes me different from you how?" I grinned cheekily.

Ash was about to reply, but then my question sunk in and he smirked. "Okay, you got me there."

"The doctor said that you can't be out of bed for another four days!" Brock said.

"And that's why I need your help for this one, Jeremy," I said. "Does your laptop come with a webcam and a microphone?"

"Yeah," he nodded, unsure of what I was implying.

"Judah," I asked Jeremy's partner, "can you operate machinery like his computer and Poké Balls?"

"I do," he nodded.

"Do any of you have a flying Pokémon that's big and strong enough to carry Judah and a few extra luggage?" I asked, hoping that someone would catch on.

Everyone was puzzled by this, but then Ash spoke up.

"Wait a second," he said, "you're asking one of us to loan you a flying Pokémon so Judah and some of your Pokémon can fly to challenge Gyms with you using Jeremy's computer as an interface!"

"Whoa, you figured it out that fast?" I gasped, amazed at his sudden realization.

"I saw it in a movie once with my mom and Gary," Ash said, and we all face-faulted.

"That's our Ash," I groaned, "but yeah, that's the plan."

"That's… actually a pretty neat idea," Jeremy said. "What do you think, Judah?"

"Well, it sure sounds interesting," he said. "Brock, are there any rules in the League about this?"

"Well, the rules say that he has to be present and command his own Pokémon in order to receive a badge," the Gym Leader replied, "and they don't say anything against your idea, so I guess it's okay."

"but there's one problem," Dawn said. "We don't have a flying Pokémon big or strong enough to carry Judah and Jeremy's laptop to Oreburgh City or even Eterna City."

"You'd be right about an hour ago," Aelita said, and brought out Mabel. "Mabel evolved into Pidgeot shortly before you guys joined our training session earlier this morning. She's plenty big and strong enough to carry Judah to wherever he needs to go, as long as it's within a small distance. She's still working with carrying loads as she flies."

"Well, I guess that takes care of that," Ash said. "Are you okay with Judah handling your stuff, Jeremy?"

"I'm okay with it as long as Judah is careful with it," Jeremy said, fishing his laptop's soft foam case out of his backpack and attaching a shoulder strap to it. "Do you know which Pokémon you want to use for those Gyms, James?"

"I've already created a strategy," I said, grinning. "I use my Grass-Type Carnivine and Cacturne against Roark's Rock-Type Pokémon, and I'll use Golbat and Red against Gardenia. Pikachutwo and Mime Jr. will stay here for now since they won't be any good against the Types at those Gyms."

"Who's Red?" Ash asked.

"He's the nickname I just gave to this little guy!" I said, holding up Charmander.

"But you just got it!" Ash protested. "You can't enter him in a Gym Battle right away!"

"And both Gyms use 3 Pokémon each!" Brock added.

"Who said I was going to do it now?" I asked. "I'm not like Paul, I'll train Red from here using your computer today, and go at it again tomorrow, and _then_ I'll send him in to challenge the Gyms."

"Well," Ash said, "I guess there's nothing wrong with giving it a try."

"Then to the practice gym we go!" Judah said, and Jeremy gave him his computer and he and Jeremy took Carnivine, Cacturne, and Golbat to the Gym. Red looked back up at me with worried eyes.

"It's ok, Red," I assured it, patting and rubbing its back. "Those nice people are going to help you get stronger while I'm in here. But don't worry, I'll be on a video for you so you can see and hear me and I can see and hear you!"

Red nodded, smiling, and accompanied the troupe of my Pokémon to the gym.

"Can I ask why you named it Red?" Brock asked me after they all left.

"Well," I began, "when I first laid eyes on him, I could feel its passion and energy burning like a red-hot fire, and I want a passion like that. Kind of like Ash, only without the thick-headedness."

I then paused for a second. "Also, I felt the name Red flash in my mind, along with a face."

"Whose face was it?" Dawn asked.

"It looked like Ash," I replied, "but at the same time, it clearly wasn't Ash. It was very strange, but I could tell that he was a very strong, kind, and honest person. Like I knew him, but in another life or even from another world."

"Sounds a little weird to me," Dawn sighed, sweat-dropping.

"Who knows, Dawn?" I chuckled. "Who knows?"

(-o-)

That night, I had learned just how right I was about Red's skill level. Everyone assumed that it was just a simple little Fire-Type that knew only Scratch, Ember, and Growl. We were proven to be wrong once it showed that it could use Metal Claw, Slash, Scary Face, and Flamethrower. Either Oak actually did the job of teaching this guy some great moves, or Jeremy paid a lot of money for me to have a Charmander like this. Either way, I was elated and prepared for anything the Eterna Gym would throw at me and Red.

Red was delighted to see my face on the screen and hear my voice form the speaker. Jeremy soon realized that the computer's speaker would not be sufficient for Red to hear my commands in the thick of battle, so Jeremy purchased a small set of wireless stereo speakers to go with the computer so that Red could hear me more clearly.

I got in good results in only a few short hours with many breaks in between for Red's sake, so I decided to call it a night and everyone came back safe and sound. Nurse Joy let them all bunk at the Pokémon Center, and Ash and the others stayed at the hospital to keep me company. Pikachutwo and Mime Jr. got up and my bed, and Pikachutwo nestled close to me, definitely a lot nicer and more sociable than when it was with Mewtwo. I thought that maybe a bit of his clone was rubbing off on him. Smiling, I patted his head and drifted off to sleep, no longer feeling any pain thanks to the new joy in my heart.

(-o-)

**Judah's POV**

Early the next day, Pikachutwo got me and James' Pokémon up for a breakfast training session, and they happily agreed. Nurse Joy gave them a good breakfast, and they put that energy to use in their training, visibly becoming more focused in their attacks, which also hit harder as a result of their new focus. Red was definitely becoming very sharp and focused with his attacks, and James' Grass-Type Pokémon were also hitting strong and fast, even the naturally slow Cacturne.

Even though they weren't going to any of the Gyms, Pikachutwo and Mime Jr. also began training, and also looked to be growing stronger as a result. If each one of them gained at least two levels last night, this morning they must have gained five. Carnivine and Mime Jr. seemed to be growing the most, since they were the most under-leveled of James' Pokémon.

Eventually, Carnivine and Cacturne said that they were ready, and Judah went to get Mabel. James gave his Pokémon a quick motivational speech , telling them to never give up, no matter how bad things looked, and always remember he loved them and that he still would, no matter if they won or lost.

"Alright, Mabel," Aelita said, tossing Mabel's Poké Ball into the air, "come on out!"

The Bird Pokémon appeared in the sky and landed next to her master.

"You remember what I asked you last night, right?" she asked, and Mabel nodded. "Okay then, you know what to do."

Jeremy handed me a knapsack, which contained James' Pokédex and Poké Balls, as well as Jeremy's computer and speakers, and jumped onto Mabel's strong back. Soon after, Mabel took off from the ground and flew full speed west by southwest to Oreburgh City, which was just over Mt. Coronet. Jeremy had everything packed away in a wind-resistant bag so that nothing would fall out of it, and that it would not fall off of my shoulder in mid-flight.

After about fifteen minutes of flying, Mabel flew right over Mt. Coronet, and landed just outside of Oreburgh City. I saw a huge building with a Poké Ball logo on the roof, and assumed that this was the Gym. Mabel and I walked up to it, and I knocked on the door. When it opened, I was greeted by a young man in a miner's uniform with brick red hair sticking out of his red miner's helmet.

"Can I help you?" he asked, clearly confused about my sudden appearance.

Not wanting anyone to know that I could talk just yet, I reached into my bag and pulled out the computer, showing the screen to the man.

"Hiya, Roark!" Ash said through the screen.

"Hey, it's Ash!" the man, Roark, said. "Are these Pokémon yours?"

"No, they're my friends' Pokémon," Ash replied. "They're here on behalf of another friend." The camera then moved to show James, laying down in his hospital bed.

"Hey, isn't he that James guy from Team Rocket?" Roark asked, now even more confused.

"Well, he's not a bad guy anymore!" Ash said. "He's sent his Pokémon here to win him a Coal Badge!"

"He's entering into the Sinnoh League?" Roark gasped.

"It's true," James said as Ash placed the camera next to James so that his face filled the screen. "If you want proof, go ask Professor Oak of Kanto. He's the one who gave me my Pokédex."

I showed him the item in question, and also pulled out James' badge case. "Well, this all seems legit enough," Roark said. "And since there's no rule against Trainers video conferencing Pokémon battles, I guess I'll see what you've got. Besides, villain or no villain, I never back down from a challenge!"

"And that's what I came to see!" James said.

With that, Roark led us into the Gym. It was truly impressive on the inside, it had a very tall ceiling with lots of rocks scattered everywhere on the battlefield. There were also some grandstands so that other people could watch the battle. I placed the computer on a stand that Jeremy had packed, and hooked up the speakers so that James' Pokémon could hear him better.

"Judah, would you please get my 3 Poké Balls out?" James asked, with the volume set at maximum intensity, which made him sound loud enough indeed.

I nodded, and took the Poké Balls containing Carnivine, Cacturne, and Red from the knapsack and placed them to the side. A man with long brown hair came up to the referee stand and held both his arms up in the air.

"This official Gym Battle between Roark the Gym Leader and James the challenger will now begin!" he said. "Each side will use 3 Pokémon, and the battle will be over when all Pokémon on one side are unable to battle! In addition, only the challenger may make a substitution!"

"Geodude, come on out!" Roark called, and his Geodude emerged from his first Poké Ball.

"Carnivine, give them a start they'll remember!" James said, and I tossed out Carnivine's Poké Ball, from which he emerged and stood ready for battle.

"And now," the referee declared, "let the battle… BEGIN!"

* * *

**A/N: And here we go! James becomes a true blue ****Pokémon Trainer, and his first Gym Battle is about to begin! More will come within the weekend, so look sharp and stay tuned!**

******By the way, I put in a special little joke with one of James' ****Pokémon! Can you guess which one?**

**********Here's a hint: It's not a Grass-Type nor an Electric-Type.**

**********-JeremyX signing off!**


	8. Trainer James Rides Anew

**A/N: And here we are! After this, it;s full steam ahead for the adventures you all know and love from the show(and some that aren't)!**

**Pokémon (C) 1995-2014 Pokémon, Nintendo, GAME FREAK, Creatures**

**Code Lyoko (C) 2002-2014 MoonScoop, France 3**

**Please support the official release, I own nothing.**

* * *

Chapter 8 – Trainer James Rides Anew

(-o-) Episode 1: Oreburgh Gym! Vs. Roark the Rock! (-o-)

**James' POV**

Being part of a Gym Battle, even if you're just watching it through a screen, is a lot more intense than a normal Pokémon Battle. As soon as Roark called out his Geodude, I felt a surge of energy rush through my body, like natural adrenaline but stronger. I wondered if this is what Ash felt like whenever he had a Gym Battle in the past, and I now envied his sense of calmness during these fights. Speaking of the devil, Ash noticed my anxiety and gave me a pat on the shoulder.

"Don't worry about a thing, James," he said. "Just give it your all, and have a blast!"

I chuckled. "I was kind of expecting you to say something like that. All right, let's go!"

"The challenger will have the first move!" Ian, the referee, said. "Now let the battle begin!"

"Carnivine, use Vine Whip!" I said, and Carnivine shot thin vines from its armpits and whipped the Rock Pokémon, who curled its arms in defense.

"Stay strong, Geodude!" Roark said. "We aren't going down easily just because you have a type advantage! Now use Rollout!"

Geodude tightly curled up into a ball and rolled right at Carnivine, striking it down before it had a chance to react.

"Carnivine, no!" I cried, but Carnivine got up pretty easy. "Yes! Now, use Bullet Seed!"

Carnivine shot a wave of seeds from its gaping mouth, and they all struck Geodude with high power and speed. But Geodude was not down for the count just yet.

"We're not done yet!" Roark roared. "Geodude, Hidden Power!"

Geodude fired a beam of white energy, and for a second I panicked. But Carnivine looked at me with confidence, and I grinned.

"Carnivine, do it!" I said, and Carnivine, much to the astonishment of Roark, swallowed the beam with its massive maw.

"What in the world was that!?" Roark gasped.

"Improvisation at work!" I said. "Carnivine, use Vine Whip to reel in Geodude!"

Before the stunned Rock Pokémon or its Trainer could react, Carnivine whipped Geodude into the air, and then wrapped its vines around Geodude, pulled it in close, and clamped its jaw shut on it.

"And now," I cried happily, "spit it out with Bullet Seed!"

Carnivine did so, and Geodude was sent flying into the air so high that it actually crashed into the roof before it dropped down to the ground, knocked out cold.

"Geodude is unable to battle!" Ian declared. "The winner is Carnivine!"

"Oh, yes! I knew the Hidden-Power-Bullet-Seed cannon combo would work!" I cheered, fist pumping and flailing about until my painkillers wore off and I sunk back down into my bed again.

"Is there something wrong?" Roark asked, hearing my grunts and seeing me wince in pain.

"It's just my ribs," I said dismissively. "It's nothing serious."

"It sure looked like it was serious," Roark said, and held his hand up. "Ian, I call a time-out!"

"Time-out by order of the Gym Leader!" Ian said, and Roark looked into the webcam and noticed my bedridden condition. The rest of us were also visible on the screen.

"Ash, are you there?" Roark asked, and Ash came into focus, nodding. "What's the matter with him?"

"He and I got into a fight with Paul yesterday afternoon," Ash said.

"Paul?" Roark asked, obviously trying to remember something.

"He challenged your Gym when I was there, remember?" Ash asked.

"Oh yeah," Roark said, snapping his fingers. "He seemed kinda different from Trainers I've had Gym Battles with in the past."

"He gave away the Azumarill that you beat," Ash said, clearly angry. "He said that it was weak and useless."

"He said what?" Roark gasped. "I had no idea that a Trainer could be so mean to their Pokémon!"

"He's the reason I'm in here," I said. "We were trying to help a wild Gliscor return home, but Paul stopped us because he wanted to catch it. When Ash tried to stop him, his Murkrow blasted him out of the way with a Sky Attack."

"A Pokémon attacked a human by command of a Trainer!?" Roark gasped, more alarmed this time.

"I tried to stop him myself," I went on, "but he kicked me into his Ursaring, who then threw me into the wreckage of a truck said Ursaring wrecked not three minutes ago."

"Holy Helix Fossil!" Roark gasped. "Are you all right?"

"A rib or two got cracked," I said, "and a few of my internal organs have been bruised, but nothing vital was hurt. I am going to be stuck here for at least five days, though."

"I got banged up by Paul's Murkrow too," Ash added. "But I only got minor injuries and I'm out of bed now. But the others and I are staying behind and looking after James."

"So that's why you're doing this as a video-chat Gym Battle," Roark said, realizing the truth. "But why couldn't you wait until after you were discharged to challenge the Sinnoh League?"

"I didn't want to hold Ash back from his third Gym Badge," I replied. "Just because I hadn't earned my first two yet doesn't mean that Ash has to backtrack and not move forward with his own battles. Plus, I want to see how much my Pokémon can stack up in real Pokémon Battles, and not in doing bad things."

"Okay, that makes sense," Roark nodded. "All right, if that's what you and your Pokémon want, then let's keep it going. Ian, time-in!"

"The match will now resume!" Ian said, and Roark called out his Onix. "Does the challenger wish to make a substitution?"

"I do!" I said. "Judah, call Carnivine back and call out Red!"

"But why?" he asked. "Rock-Type Pokémon are strong against Fire-Type Pokémon!"

"I have my reasons!" I said, and Judah called out my new Charmander. "Give it all you've got, Red!"

"Battle begin!" Ian declared, and the second round began.

"Onix, use Slam!" Roark called out, and the Rock Snake Pokémon lunged at my little Charmander.

"Dodge it!" I said, "and then use Metal Claw!"

Red quickly stepped out of the way, and dashed up Onix's long and rocky body to its head, where it raked its now steel-edged claws across its face, causing it to roar in pain. Red quickly jumped off of Onix and landed safely on the ground.

"Use Screech!" Roark cried, and Onix let out an ear-piercing cry that forced me to cut off the audio feed so that the speakers would not break, nor would our eardrums. Fortunately, even though I could not hear Red, he could still hear me.

"Fight back with Flamethrower!" I cried, and Red shot red-hot flames from its mouth at Onix. I knew the Fire-Type attack would not do much damage, but the damage wasn't what I was looking for. Onix stopped, and I turned the speakers back on.

"Quick, use Double-Edge!" Roark cried, and Onix shot forward once more.

"Dodge it," I cried, "and then use Flamethrower again!"

Red did so, but when the second stream of fire hit, it only made Onix angrier and did not damage it much, if at all.

"What are you trying to do?" Roark asked. "You should know that Fire-Type attacks like Flamethrower won't hurt my Onix like you appear to think!"

"Who said I wanted to use Flamethrower to damage it?" I smiled slyly, cocking my eyebrow, and then Red used Flamethrower a third time. When this third attack hit, Onix began glowing red and giving off intense heat, hissing in pain.

"Onix has been burned!" Brock observed from the screen. "Its attack power has now been cut in half!"

"Then that's what you were aiming for this whole time!" Roark realized.

"Bingo!" I cried. "Now, Red, use Metal Claw!"

Red nodded, and rushed forward, slashing at Onix from below, causing it to fall to the side in pain.

"Quick, use Stealth Rock!" Roark cried, and Onix became surrounded with glowing white spheres, which transformed quickly into many large pointed stones, and Onix sent these stones flying into the air, where they stayed.

"Let's go, Red!" I cried. "One last Metal Claw!"

Red then dashed to Onix's head, and slashed at its face one last time, causing it to spiral over to the other side, knocked out.

"Onix is… unable to battle!" Ian declared, rather shocked. "The winner is the Charmander named Red!"

"All right, Red!" I cheered, and my new Lizard Pokémon gave me a smile and shot a Flamethrower into the air in victory.

"Onix, return!" Roark said as he recalled his fallen partner. "That was a good battle, now get some rest." He then turned to me. "I must say, I'm impressed with how you've started off! I thought that you made a bad move with sending out a Fire-Type Pokémon against my Rock-Type Pokémon, but you had a great plan in mind. Excellent job!"

"Thanks for that," I grinned, "but this battle's not over yet!"

"You're right about that!" he said, and brought out his final Pokémon. "Rampardos, let's give it all we got!"

Roark's strongest Pokémon, which was a giant dinosaur with a hard head, appeared on the scene and gave a mighty roar.

"Quick, Judah," I said, "Return Red!"

"Okay!" Judah nodded, and returned Red to his Poké Ball.

"Go, Carnivine!" I said, and Judah threw Carnivine back out into the field. Suddenly, the stones in the air came hurtling down and slammed onto Carnivine.

"What just happened?" I gasped.

"You should know that Stealth Rock damages Pokémon that switch in and out of battle," Roark grinned, and I hissed.

"Carnivine, use Bullet Seed!" I cried.

"Quick, use Flamethrower!" Roark cried, and Rampardos breathed a stream of fire.

Fortunately, Bullet Seed struck first since Carnivine was faster than Rampardos. However, the Flamethrower also struck Carnivine, sending it back and into a wall.

"Carnivine!" I cried out in horror, and I wished nothing more than to be out of this bed and by his side. However, Carnivine soon got up and fired green energy beams from its leafy hands at the opposing Rampardos, making it wince in pain. As the energy started to fluctuate, Rampardos was getting weaker and Carnivine was getting stronger.

"Is that… Giga Drain!?" Roark gasped.

"You learned how to use Giga Drain, you crafty Carnivine!" I cheered.

"What's Giga Drain?" Jeremy asked.

"It's a powerful Grass-Type move that is draining Rampardos' power into Carnivine!" Brock explained.

"I'm not going down like this!" Roark said. "Rampardos, use Head Smash!"

Rampardos broke form the energy chains and charged at Carnivine, smashing into it with its rock-hard head. Carnivine was sent flying into the air, where it flailed about, confused and scared.

"Carnivine, hang in there!" I pleaded.

"Now, use Flamethrower!" Roark cried, and Rampardos shot another stream of fire, which hit Carnivine dead-on and sent it spiraling to the ground, where it was revealed to have fainted from the attacks.

"Carnivine is unable to battle!" Ian ruled. "The winner is Rampardos!"

"Oh man," Ash said, looking through the screen. "Carnivine was sure tough, though."

"I wish I could personally comfort him," I sighed, and Jeremy hummed.

"Hey, Judah?" Jeremy asked. "Could you press the big red button on the front of my backpack?"

Judah did so, and a small rover with two robotic arms sprung from inside of the pack and connected the computer to the top of it, which made the laptop seem like its head. It then moved over to Carnivine and patted its head. Realizing what this meant, I smiled to Carnivine as he looked at me through the webcam.

"You battled hard, Carnivine," I said. "Now take a nice, long rest."

Judah took out Carnivine's Poké Ball and returned the Grass-Type Pokémon. Jeremy pressed a few keys on his laptop keyboard, and I was given a command sheet to control the small robot that came from the other backpack. The robot took Cacturne's Poké Ball and handed it to Judah, who knew what to do.

"Cacturne, you're up!" I said, and my old friend popped in, ready for battle. Once more, the pointed stones dug into Cacturne, but it stood its ground, since Rock-Type attacks weren't very effective towards Grass-Type Pokémon.

"A Grass/Dark-Type, huh?" Roark said. "This could be tricky. Rampardos, use Focus Energy!"

Rampardos' head began glowing blue with energy, and it looked extremely confident. I knew that Focus Energy raised the critical-hit ratio of its moves, and I was now in deep trouble.

"Cacturne, use Needle Arm!" I commanded, and Cacturne pounded Rampardos with its spiky arms.

"Quick, use Flamethrower!" Roark ordered, and Cacturne was assailed by the column of fire before either of us could react.

"What speed and power," I growled, fearing my friend. "Cacturne, return for now!" Judah returned Cacturne, and called out Red, who took more damage from Stealth Rock due to his typing.

I hissed at this, but my plan remained solid. "Red, use Scary Face!"

Red narrowed his eyes, barred his teeth, and growled menacingly. Rampardos shuddered, and I knew the reason. Scary Face was a move that dramatically lowered the Speed of an opposing Pokémon.

"Now, use Metal Claw!" I cried, and Red managed to jump up and take out the Stealth Rocks first, and then rake Rampardos' face before it could strike back. Roark looked surprised when Red destroyed the Stealth Rock, but I wondered why Rampardos, even though it's speed was lowered, did not attack yet. However, I soon realized why it did not attack when I saw a grin cross Roark's face.

"Now, Head Smash!"

Before I could say anything, Red was blown back by the force of the super-effective attack of the Head Butt Pokémon, and crashed to the ground, unable to go on.

"Red is unable to battle!" Ian said. "The winner is Rampardos!"

"Well done!" Roark cheered. "One more, and we win!"

"Red, come back!" I said, and Judah called back my fainted Lizard Pokémon. "You did well, now take a good rest. Your work will not have been in vain! Cacturne, it's all up to you!" Once more, my Scarecrow Pokémon poised himself for battle.

"Use Flamethrower!" Roark ordered.

"Sucker Punch!" I cried, and Cacturne came close and struck first, while also dodging the Flamethrower.

"Hang in there, Rampardos!" Roark cried. "We're not done yet! Head Smash!"

"Counter with Drain Punch!" I cried, and Cacturne fired off its newly mastered move, colliding with the oncoming Rampardos.

For a while, it looked like a stalemate, with no one side giving the other any ground. But soon, Cacturne's Drain Punch overpowered Rampardos' Rock-Type Head Smash with its Fighting-Type move power. Rampardos looked weaker, and Cacturne's body recovered from its previous scorching. I could also see that Rampardos took quite a bit of recoil damage from that Head Smash. It was then that I decided to take the Ash Ketchum approach: all or nothing.

"Now, Cacturne! I believe in you!" I cried. "Use Drain Punch with maximum power!"

Rampardos, still taking damage from the recoil, was left with no other choice but to let Cacturne come. Soon enough, Rampardos was met with a crunching powered-up Drain Punch uppercut, which judging from the look of it, was the most critical of critical hits that I had ever seen. Rampardos' head went straight up, and it fell over backwards with a loud and tremendous thud. It struggled to get to its feet afterwards, but it soon fell over forwards, unable to move any more.

"Rampardos is unable to battle!" Ian ruled. "The winner is Cacturne and the victory goes to the challenger James!"

For a long time, I felt like either those words did not register in my mind or that my entire body had frozen solid. Soon enough, though, I gave a small smile, which turned into a huge grin, and I laughed and wept tears of joy as I did a victory dance in my bed. I heard Ash and the others congratulate me, but I couldn't hear the exact words over the sounds of my Pokémon jumping for joy on the other side.

"We won!" I cried. "We really won!"

"Way to go, James!" Ash cheered.

"I knew you could do it!" Jeremy said.

"Never a doubt in my mind!" Aelita added.

I eventually wiped the tears from my eyes to see Roark recall his Pokémon and walk up to the rover. "Congratulations, James. You've truly demonstrated the power of the bond that you and your Pokémon share. You'll face many challenges in your new journey, but facing them head-on will make you both become stronger in the long run."

Ian came over with a tray, and Roark took what was on it and showed it to the camera. "Here is your proof that you beat me: the Coal Badge."

The rover handed Roark my Badge Case, and he placed it in the slot for the Coal Badge. Roark then gave the case back to the robot, and it placed it back in Jeremy's backpack.

"I… I just don't know what to say," I said, still crying. "Thank you! Thank you so much, Roark!"

"I assume that you'll be heading to Eterna City once your Pokémon get healed up, right?" Roark asked.

"That's right," I nodded.

"Make sure you give it your all," he said. "It's not just for you, but for your Pokémon as well."

"Not to worry, Roark," I said, giving a thumbs-up. "I promise that I won't let you or my Pokémon down!"

(-o-)

(-o-) Chapter 2 – Time to Kick Some Grass (-o-)

**Judah's POV**

I was tasked with delivering James' Pokémon to the Pokémon Center in Oreburgh City before Mabel flew us to Eterna City the next day. Needless to say, Nurse Joy was surprised to see a Pokémon walk into a Pokémon Center to heal other Pokémon, much less me being able to talk. After Jeremy and James explained the situation to her, however, she was much more relaxed. She then gave James' Pokémon, as well as Mabel, a much-deserved rest for their efforts. James made sure to commend them on their victories, and told them that they would soon be winning Gym Battles with him personally. One more to go, and they could come back to us and we'd be on our way once James was fully healed.

But James knew better than to just send them into another Gym Battle without any substantial training, so he had Red and Golbat battle with Carnivine and Cacturne, training the former two Pokémon to battle Grass-Type Pokémon. At first, each side took things nice and slow, not using attacks that were too powerful for practice battles. He also made sure to give them plenty of time to take breaks and not to push themselves, as well as having Nurse Joy give them top-notch Pokémon food, which Jeremy was happy to pay for. By the end of the day, they kicked things up so much that they were able to use powerful attacks against each other without either side taking too much damage.

Satisfied with the results of their training, James checked in his Pokémon to the Pokémon Center for a good night's sleep. Jeremy remotely turned off the feed for the robot, and I slipped it back into his backpack. Nurse Joy was kind enough to spare a small space outside of the Pokémon Center for me and Mable to sleep. Mabel was also kind enough to cover me with one of her wings as a blanket. I had slept under the stars countless time before, but this was one of the rare times when I had a lot on my mind that night. No doubt James also had a lot on his mind, his ribs aching away in his hospital bed hundreds of kilometers away from here.

"You're worried about James, aren't you?" Mabel asked me in the Pokémon tongue.

"I am," I replied in human speak. "This is a big step for him, and I hope he and his Pokémon can take it. This is so much different from what they're used to, I just wonder if it'll be too much for them both."

"You saw what happened out there, didn't you?" Mabel asked. "He trusted them, and they trusted him back. I know James a bit more well than you, and I know, even though he's clumsy and overdramatic, he is an honest man, and you don't see many, honest criminals, if any at all."

"Oh, that's right," I said, nodding. "You were at the Solaceon Day Care during the month that James was working there."

"I was," Mabel nodded. "And he cared more about us than he cared about himself. The poor man has had so few things that have given him true joy in his life, and Pokémon is one of them. This is why he will always treasure and protect them, no matter the cost to himself."

"That's quite the speech," I said, impressed by Mabel's support for James. "So do you really think he'll be as powerful as you say?"

"Well, I suppose we'll both find out to tomorrow at Eterna City," Mabel said, tucking her head into the other side of her body. "Sleep tight, Judah."

"You too, Mabel," I said, and slinked into sleep myself.

(-o-)

The next day, we woke up bright and early to a nice breakfast, courtesy of Nurse Joy, and we headed off to Eterna City. I made sure that all of James' Pokémon were inside of their Poké Balls, and that Jeremy's equipment was secure inside his backpack, and saddled up on Mabel, who flew off northeast to Eterna City. I could not help but look down below us, and saw the land go by so fast. I wondered if this was what Flying-Type Pokémon like Mabel felt like when they were flying up high in the sky, with everything looking so small from their viewpoint.

However, I did not have much time to think about that because I could see that we were approaching Eterna City and Mabel began to descend in altitude. After about three more minutes, we landed just outside of the Pokémon Center, where Nurse Joy greeted us. The Nurse Joy from Oreburgh City was kind enough to explain our situation to the Eterna City Nurse Joy, and she gave Mabel a nice grooming as a reward for helping out James' Pokémon, as well as myself.

After a few minutes of rest and relaxation, I brought out Golbat, Red, and the rover, and linked it to James' hospital room.

"Okay, guys," he said. "Can you hear me?" They nodded in response, so he continued. "The Eterna City Gym uses Grass-Type Pokémon, so Cacturne and Carnivine, you won't be as effective there. What I do want is for you two to keep on helping Red and Golbat train to fight Gardenia and her Grass-Type Pokémon, so…"

Before James could go any further, I saw Jeremy's backpack give off a glow, and a white light emerged from it, which transformed into the form of a very familiar Pokémon.

"Mime Jr.!?" he gasped. "What are you doing all the way out there!?"

"Wait, Mime Jr.'s there?" Brock gasped, trying to see Mime Jr., who waved to James and everyone else.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, completely confused as to how or why the Mime Pokémon would have snuck away from James' side without any of us knowing about it.

It said something in its own language, and I cocked by head, still puzzled. "You wanted to help James win a Gym Battle? You wanted to get stronger so that you could protect James like other people's Pokémon do all the time?"

Mime Jr. nodded, and then made some hand motions. Soon enough, it had put up a yellow barrier in front of itself. "That's right, you can use new moves now, so you want to test them out in a Gym Battle!"

"Wait, new moves?" James asked.

"Oh yeah," I said, remembering that I did not yet tell James about Mime Jr.'s progress. "Mime Jr. can now use Light Screen, which you just saw, as well as Reflect and Psychic, in addition to his Mimic."

"Since when can he use those moves?" James gasped.

"Since you were in the hospital," I replied. "All of your Pokémon felt guilty for not being strong enough to protect you, so they went into overtime training while you were currently incapacitated."

"You mean they… trained like that… for me?" he gasped, his eyes shining as tears were starting to form.

"You're more than just their Trainer," I said, "you're their best friend, and they want to do the very best that they can so that you'll be proud of them."

"Is that true, Mime. Jr.?" he asked the Mime Pokémon, and he nodded. "Well, here's the thing: You don't need to make me proud of you because I already am. You're the best friends I could ever have, and I'd love you no matter if you're super strong or not. It's my duty to protect you, not the other way around, you know."

He then took a deep breath. "But if your heart wants you to train, then I won't stop you. I promised myself that I would never let any of my friends stop following their hearts just because someone else told them to. You train your heart out, and I'll be training right along with you before you know it. Do your best, and I'll always be proud of you."

Mme Jr. nodded, and we went to the Gym.

(-o-)

**James' POV**

As Judah and the rover approached the large, greenhouse-like building, I sighed.

"Man, a Grass-Type Gym," I said. "I only wish I had Growlie with me."

"Who's Growlie?" Dawn asked.

"Don't you remember?" Ash asked. "Growlie is James' pet Growlithe that he had when he was a kid, and it was still living at his parent's house when we went there."

"Oh yeah," Dawn nodded. "I forgot about that. I don't think I've ever met a Growlithe that wasn't one of Officer Jenny's Police Pokémon."

"Well, no use thinking about the past," I said. "Time to focus on the here and now."

As soon as I said this, Judah approached the doors of the Eterna City Pokémon Gym, and knocked on the door. After a minute or two, the door opened, and Gardenia came out.

"Oh, hello there," she smiled at Judah. "Can I help you, little guy?"

"It's not me you should be helping," Judah said, and pointed to the rover's screen. "It's him who needs something here."

"Oh, James!" she grinned. "It's good to see you again! And I remember this Riolu from the Day Care Center! You're Jeremy's Riolu, Judah, aren't you?"

"That is correct," Jeremy said, his face coming into the screen. "James has come here to you by use of my advanced telecommunications technology in order to request a battle with you."

"Come again?" Gardenia asked, confused by Jeremy's techno-speak.

"James wants to earn the Forest Badge," Judah said, showing James' Badge Case and his Pokédex.

"Well, this is interesting," she said, looking his ID over. "How come you're using a computer, James?"

"Because I can't be there myself yet," I replied, and panned the camera out for Gardenia to see my condition.

"Oh my Grass!" she gasped. "What in the name of Pokémon happened to you?"

"You probably don't remember him," I replied, "but there's this purple-haired kid named Paul who's been going through the Sinnoh League and…"

"Oh, I know him," Gardenia said, her normally light and cheery tone replaced by one of quiet anger. "He brought a Chimchar and a Murkrow with him and absolutely destroyed me without breaking a sweat. If that wasn't bad enough, he had the nerve to call me pathetic after he practically designed his entire team to destroy me! There's preparing for type advantages, and there's using a fire hose to put out a campfire."

"That jerk!" Ash hissed. "First he was insulting Trainers, now he's insulting Gym Leaders!? How low can he go?"

"In case you missed out on him using Murkrow's Sky Attack on you," I replied, "that's pretty darn low."

"There's also the case of said Chimchar," Dawn reminded him.

"What about Chimchar?" Gardenia asked.

"Paul abandoned it when it failed to live up to the unreasonable expectations he had of it," Ash hissed. "I took it in, of course, but not before Paul gave us an earful of how pathetic we both are to him."

"That jerk," Gardenia growled.

"Need I remind you of his Pokémon attacking us?" I asked. "He's the reason we're both in here!"

"Wait, he had his Pokémon attack you!?" Gardenia gasped.

"Ash and me both," I said. "Ash just got discharged last night after recovering from a blow to his kidney caused by him being thrown into a wall, and I broke one of my ribs after Paul kicked me into his Ursaring, who then threw me into a wrecked truck he had wrecked not five minutes ago."

"Holy Celebi, that's bad," Gardenia gasped, her hand covering her mouth in shock. "Did anyone call Officer Jenny?"

"She was there when it happened," I said, "but he attacked her and us too! And this was all because he wanted to catch a Gliscor we were trying to help, and he was trying to get us 'out of his way'."

"Well, do you need anything from me?" she asked.

"I just said what I wanted, didn't I?" I asked. "I want to battle you for my very own Forest Badge!"

"Well," Gardenia pondered, rubbing her chin, "if Roark let you do this, and he says there's nothing in the League Rules against this, then I guess that's good enough for me! You're on, James!"

"Sweet!" I cheered. "Thanks, Gardenia!"

(-o-)

With that, we set up our battle in the Gym, which was just as much of a greenhouse on the inside as it was on the outside. There were also dozens of gardeners taking care of hundreds of Grass-Type and Bug-Type Pokémon, and various hybrids of other types mixed in with the previously mentioned two Types. The referee and her Nuzleaf were poised and ready to welcome my challenge, and we took our places at the opposite sides of the Gym arena.

"This official Gym Battle between James the challenger and Gardenia the Gym Leader will now begin!" she said, and her Nuzleaf mimicked her actions, nodding. "Each side will use three Pokémon, and the battle will be over when all three Pokémon on one side are unable to battle! Also, only the challenger will be allowed to substitute Pokémon!"

"You're sure about this, James?" Gardenia asked.

"If I wasn't I never would have even gone to Oreburgh," I grinned, and Judah made ready to call out my Pokémon.

"Cherubi, come on out!" she cried, and a cherry-shaped Pokémon came out.

"Judah, mind filling me in?" I asked, and Judah took out my Pokédex.

"_Cherubi, the Cherry Pokémon," _the screen read._ "__All of the nutrients needed for__evolution__are contained in its small ball. Cherubi becomes redder as it is exposed to sunlight, and is almost ready to evolve once the smaller ball buds.__"_

"Ready when you are," Gardenia said.

"Golbat, come on out!" I cried, and my faithful Bat Pokémon emerged from the Poké Ball that Judah threw.

"When did you get that?" Gardenia asked.

"A bit after I left Team Rocket," I replied, "but I'll tell you more on that later!"

"The challenger makes the first move!" the referee stated. "Now, let the battle begin!"

"Golbat, use Confuse Ray!" I cried, and Golbat fired a strange beam which threw Cherubi into confusion.

"Cherubi, no!" Gardenia cried. "Snap out of it!"

"Now's your chance, Golbat!" I said. "Use Air Cutter!"

Golbat sliced the air around Cherubi, and it was knocked back quite a bit, but soon got back up on its stubby feet, still confused.

"Cherubi, snap out of it and use Sunny Day!" Gardenia cried, and Cherubi snapped out of its confusion and turned the sunlight harsh. It was so harsh, I had to turn down the brightness on Jeremy's laptop.

"Why would you use a move that increases the power of Fire-Type moves?" I asked, confused as to what Gardenia's battle strategy was.

"You'll see right now!" she replied. "Cherubi, use Solar Beam!"

Cherubi gathered sunlight, and fired almost instantly, blasting Golbat clean out of the sky.

"What the Ho-Oh just happened!?" I gasped.

"The move Sunny Day allows any Pokémon that knows Solar Beam to use it in one turn!" Brock explained. "It doesn't increase its power, but it speeds it up tremendously!"

"Man, just like a Gym Leader to think outside the box," I said, growling.

I noticed how much damage Golbat took, even though the hit was not very effective. In fact, it only dealt a quarter of the damage it would have normally done, thanks to Golbat being a Poison/Flying-Type Pokémon. But the hit still looked like it hurt a lot, which showed Cherubi's strength was far beyond Golbat's defensive power. Obviously, Golbat's level was still pretty low compared to Gardenia's Cherubi, but I wasn't giving up just yet.

"Cherubi, use Magical Leaf!" Gardenia cried, and her Pokémon threw magic leaves at Golbat.

"Golbat, dodge it!" I said, and Golbat flew above the range of the leaves. However, they suddenly turned around mid-direction, and struck Golbat.

"Don't give in, Golbat!" I cried, and Golbat shook the damage off. "Use Poison Fang!" I ordered, and Golbat dived down and sank its teeth into the Cherry Pokémon.

"Cherubi, no!" Gardenia cried, and Golbat flew off of Cherubi, revealing it to be knocked out.

"Cherubi is unable to battle!" the referee ruled, and her Nuzleaf nodded. "Golbat is the winner!"

"All right!" I cried. "One down, three to go!"

"Cherubi, come back!" Gardenia cried, and returned her Pokémon. "You fought hard, now rest up." She then smiled at me. "I'll give you one thing, James: You define using type advantages and still being a good sport. Not bad for a bad guy."

"A _former_ bad guy," I corrected her, "but more on that to come after our battle."

"Of course!" she said, and brought out her second Pokémon. "Turtwig, come on out!"

"Gardenia has a Turtwig too?" Aelita gasped.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about that," Ash said. "I was kinda surprised myself when I first saw it."

"Golbat, return!" I cried, and Judah returned Golbat to its Poké Ball. "Red, let's go!"

When Gardenia saw Red, instead of frowning, she grinned.

"Sinnoh Starter vs. Kanto Starter, eh?" she said coyly.

"How come Gardenia isn't mad about Red being in this battle?" Dawn asked.

"Because James isn't Paul," Jeremy replied. "You should naturally come equipped for type advantages, but you shouldn't be a jerk about it like Paul is."

"Red hasn't had much experience," I said, "but he's strong, so don't go easy on him! He won't like it!"

"I don't even know the meaning of the word!" Gardenia said. "Turtwig, use Leech Seed!"

Gardenia's Turtwig fired a seed from a hole on top of the twig in its head, and it flew right at Red.

"Use Flamethrower!" I cried, and Red burned the Leech Seed to a crisp in front of our eyes, and also managed to damage Turtwig. "Now follow it up with Scary Face!"

Red narrowed his eyes, growled deeply, and then roared menacingly, frightening Gardenia's Turtwig.

"Turtwig, don't let it scare you!" Gardenia cried. "Use Leaf Storm!"

Turtwig snapped out of it, and whipped up a hurricane of leaves, and sent it at Red, who got caught in the vortex and was flung high up into the air.

"Stay strong, Red!" I cried.

"Now, use Leech Seed once more!" Gardenia cried, and Turtwig fired another seed, which struck Red. When it did, vines came sprouting from it and wrapped around Red, draining his energy.

"And now, Tackle!" she called out, and Turtwig slammed into Red as he fell from the Leaf Storm, very weak.

"Red, come back!" I cried, and Judah returned Red to call out Golbat. "Golbat, use Air Cutter!"

Golbat fired its wind discs at Turtwig, but it dodged all of them.

"It's still so fast," I hissed. "Golbat, use Confuse Ray!"

Golbat fired a red beam at Turtwig, and the Tiny Leaf Pokémon was now all turned around.

"Turtwig, snap out of it!" Gardenia cried, but Turtwig was so confused that it hurt itself.

"Now, use Poison Fang!" I cried, and Golbat bit into Turtwig.

However, Turtwig soon shook off Golbat before it could poison it, so while Turtwig was down, it wasn't out just yet. To make matters worse, Turtwig snapped out of confusion just as it shook my Golbat off. And then, as if nothing could get worse, Turtwig began to give off a green aura.

"What is that?" I gasped.

"That's Turtwig's Ability, Overgrow!" Judah explained. "When Turtwig has taken massive damage, its Grass-Type moves get a super charged power boost!"

"Use Leaf Storm!" Gardenia cried, and her Turtwig blew up another whirlwind, which knocked Golbat around, sending it crashing to the ground, knocked out.

"Golbat is unable to battle!" the referee ruled. "Turtwig is the winner!"

"Well done!" Gardenia cheered, and Turtwig growled in victory.

"Golbat, come back!" I cried, and Judah returned my fainted Bat Pokémon. "You fought hard, now take a good rest. Red, get back out there!" As soon as Red popped back in, it was ready for battle.

"Now, use Synthesis!" Gardenia said, and Turtwig was almost fully healed by the power of the sun, which was still shining bright thanks to Sunny Day. However, I also had a plan for a counterattack, and I was about to show Gardenia what that was.

"Red, use Flamethrower!" I cried, and Red fired a super-powered Flamethrower, which quickly engulfed the Grass-Type Pokémon before it could react, knocking it out in an instant.

"Turtwig is unable to battle!" the referee ruled, surprised but reserved. "Red the Charmander is the winner!"

"All right!" I cheered. "Well done, Red!" Red cheered as well, firing a victory flame into the air and jumping for joy.

"Good work, Turtwig," Gardenia said, recalling her fainted partner, "now take a good long rest." She then smiled at me. "I must commend you, James. You've come up with a remarkably effective strategy in little to no time, and you're one of the most sportsmanlike challengers I've ever faced!"

"Why, thank you!" I smiled. "I'm trying to make a habit of trying to correct my past mistakes."

"Well, good luck with that," she grinned, bringing out her last Poké Ball, "and good luck against my last Pokémon! Roserade, it's all up to you!"

Judah opened up my Pokédex for more info. "_Roserade, the Bouquet Pokémon. Roserade uses its sweet aroma to attract prey then strikes with thorny whips to defeat it._"

"A Grass/Poison Type, huh?" I smirked, and then grinned. "Red, let's rock and roll with Flamethrower!"

Red fired a stream of fire at the Bouquet Pokémon, but it deftly dodged to the side. Red did it again, but the results were the same. It then used Scary Face without my command, and Roserade cringed in fear. Red did it again, and Roserade grew even more scared.

"Red, that's enough!" I cried, and Red turned around. "Why did you lose control like that?"

Red said something in reply, and Judah nodded. "He says that he doesn't want to lose, and that he has a good chance to win, not because of type advantages, but because he believes in his power and in your power, James."

I was surprised, and then I smiled. "The fact that you knew how to act and didn't just attack heedlessly shows that you can win this! Now, use Flamethrower before Sunny Day fades away!"

Red did so, and the flames struck Roserade before it could react, its speed lowered dramatically due to the usage of Scary Face. Roserade was not down yet, and I didn't want Red to fail this battle, not after hearing his touching speech.

"Red, come back for now!" I cried. "Mime Jr., help him out!" My faithful Mime Pokémon appeared, and mimicked my battle pose that I made from my hospital bed.

"Roserade, use Flash!" Gardenia cried, and Roserade released a brilliant flash of light, forcing Mime Jr. to cover its eyes. The light was so intense, that I also shielded myself.

"Stay strong, Mime Jr.!" I cried. "Use Light Screen!"

Mime Jr. poised its hands around the air, and a wall of light appeared, which blocked the flash and allowed Mime Jr. to be able to open its eyes without being blinded. It also cut the damage my Pokémon would receive from oncoming special attacks in half.

"Keep it up with Reflect!" I added, and Mime Jr. created another wall of light, layered onto Light Screen, that would reduce physical damage by half as well. I was now layered with a cool two-wall system that halved damage from both physical and special attacks.

"You may be smart," Gardenia said, "but we're tough! Use Magical Leaf!"

Roserade fired magic leaves at Mime Jr., but the Light Screen cut the damage from the special attack clean in half. But the attack still caused some damage, since Mime Jr. was a young Pokémon.

"Try it again, Roserade!" Gardenia cried. "But this time, use Weather Ball before the Sunny Day goes away!"

Roserade gathered a ball of weather energy, which was of the Fire-Type due to the strong sunlight caused by the Sunny Day, and launched it at Mime Jr.

"Quick, use Mimic!" I cried, and Mime Jr. mimicked the move exactly, and both attacks hit their targets.

"Roserade/Mime Jr.!" we both cried, shocked.

Mime Jr. was okay, thanks to its dual screens, but Roserade was on its last legs, struggling to stand up.

"Mime Jr., come back!" I cried. "You may want to win, but it's Red's time to shine!"

Mime Jr. nodded, and let itself be recalled and let Red come back out. "Now get in there with Slash!"

"Quick, use Grass Knot!" Gardenia cried, and her Pokémon caused the grass under Red's feet to become knotted, tripping him.

"Now, use Magical Leaf to finish him off!" Gardenia cried, and Roserade fired magic leaves at Red. I winced and waited for the end to come.

But it never did.

I opened my eyes to see that Light Screen, which was transferred from Mime Jr., had cut the damage from Magical Leaf clean in half! I grinned wildly, and knew what was to come next. The sun was in its last part of super brightness, and I was going to make every last second of it count.

"Red, use one final Flamethrower!" I cried, and Red's flames engulfed Roserade. When the flames faded and the dust settled, Roserade fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Roserade is unable to battle, and Red is the winner!" the referee said. "Victory… goes to James!"

"Red, you did it!" I cried, and Red did a victory dance, squealing and jumping for joy.

Gardenia looked shocked for a moment, but then smiled and patted her Roserade on the head. "Well done, Roserade. That was a hard-fought battle." She then looked at the camera. "That was a well-fought battle by you as well, James. The power displayed by your new Charmander, Red, shows just how much he means to you as well as how much you mean to him." She then showed me a small green object which she took from a tray given to her by the referee. "In recognition of your Pokémon's power, as well as the bond you share with them, I present you with the Forest Badge!"

"Wow, thanks so much, Gardenia!" I said, with tears of joy in my eyes.

"Congratulations, James" Ash said.

"Wow, two Gyms in a week!" Dawn said in admiration.

"That's probably a new Trainer record!" Brock smiled, impressed.

"Once you guys get rested up," I said, "I'll be seeing you back home before the day is out, okay?"

"We'll be on our way soon enough!" Judah nodded. "See you soon, Jeremy!"

"I'll be waiting, buddy," Jeremy nodded.

"Now don't let up just because you've done something pretty cool like this!" Gardenia said. "If you could do something like this while in the hospital, just imagine what you could do out of bed!"

"I'll find out starting tomorrow!" I said, smiling. "And don't worry about me: I won't let you down!"

* * *

**A/N: Now that James has two Gym Badges under his belt, what new adventures lie in store for him and the rest of our heroes? Stay tuned and find out!**

**By the way, I gave a bit of foreshadowing of my next chapter with Paul's encounter with Gardenia. Bet you can't guess which one is next!**

**-JeremyX signing off!**


	9. The Third Curtain Falls

**A/N: SWEET MOTHER OF ARCEUS, THIS ONE IS OVER 15,000 WORDS! But then again, it is three episodes in one. Four if you count the last one I made up for James.**

**Speaking of which, the last part of the chapter has a shout-out to... an alternate universe of the Pokémon anime.**

**Unfortunately, I have a sore throat as I type this, and my school is catching up to me, so I won't be able to do much here for a while. Please be patient with me, this is going to be such a great story!**

**Pokémon (C) 1995-2014 Pokémon, Nintendo, GAME FREAK, Creatures**

**Code Lyoko (C) 2002-2014 MoonScoop, France 3**

**Please support the official release!**

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Chapter 9 – The Third Curtain Falls

**(-o-) Prologue: Homecoming Heroes (-o-)**

**James' POV**

As I awoke on the fifth day of my recovery, my body did not feel like it was in pain, as I had felt so many times these past four days, and it felt very good. In addition to this new feeling of joy, I also had a sense of calmness, as if a gentle breeze had blown all of my troubles away. Perhaps it was the acquisition of two Sinnoh Gym Badges in the past four days, or when I received Red with my new Pokédex and license, or maybe a combination of all of these events and more.

Speaking of Red, I opened my eyes to see said Lizard Pokémon snoozing on my lap, along with Mime Jr. and Pikachutwo. Carnivine, Cacturne, and Golbat were sleeping off to the side of my bed, and Judah was sleeping in a chair far off. Curious, I nudged Red awake, which also awoke Pikachutwo and Mime Jr.

"When did you guys get back?" I asked quietly.

"Mabel brought them all back late last night," Judah replied, awake as well. He gave a stretch, a yawn, and a sudden back flip before grinning. "But when they got in your room, you were fast asleep. The others and I didn't want them to disturb you, but they all jumped on the bed without waking you up anyway."

"Well, either way, I'm glad you're all back safe and sound," I smiled, petting Red and Pikachutwo. I also stretched my arms, and noticed that I felt little to no pain from doing so.

Just then, the doctor came into my room. "Good news, sir. We monitored your condition last night, and you're free to be released right now. You'll still have to take it easy for at least another week, though."

"Really?" I gasped, sitting up. "That's great news! Thanks so much!"

"It's my pleasure," he said, and bowed out of the room. No sooner had he done so, than Ash and everyone else came in with a good-looking egg-and-sausage breakfast burrito.

"We figured you could use something solid to eat after your whole ordeal," Ash said, and handed me the burrito, which disappeared down my gullet as quickly as he gave it to me. After the nice meal, I slowly got up and out of my bed, taking a minute or two to steady myself. I took one step, and trembled.

"Whoa!" I gasped as I nearly fell over. Fortunately, I was able to catch myself and take a few steps.

"Are you okay?" Aelita asked.

"I'm fine," I waved, "it's just that my legs feel like jelly after staying in bed for five days when nothing was wrong with them."

My Pokémon cheered for me, as my human friends chuckled and clapped, and I smiled before returning Carnivine, Golbat, and Cacturne to their Poké Balls. I kept Red and Mime Jr. out, as well as Pikachutwo of course. I then picked up my new badge case, which was on the nightstand, and opened it up to see two Gym Badges, shining quite brightly in the light of the hospital room.

"Two steps forward in my new life," I grinned, and shut the case. I then grabbed my new set of clothes and headed for the restroom.

(-o-)

With my new clothes on my back, I exited the hospital feeling like a homecoming warrior who had just been welcomed home after surviving a near tragedy on the battlefield. The gang clapped for me, and praised how my new duds looked on me, and I felt quite happy. I don't remember everything they said, but I know that it was one of the best moments of my life so far.

And I would soon discover that it would only get better form here on out.

(-o-)

**(-o-) Episode 1: A Leader in Need Requires a Challenge Indeed (-o-)**

**Jeremy's POV**

After a few minutes of following the dirt track with Brock and I reading the map, we all reached the top of a cliff. A long white roped-off fence stood at the edge of the cliff. We took a moment to stop and see what laid out before us down below. A considerably large city could be seen at the bottom of the cliff. There were a lot of trees scattered around the metropolis, and not many of the buildings were very tall ones.

"There it is!" Brock declared. "Veilstone City!"

"Here at last!" Ash cheered. "My third Gym Badge is practically calling my name! I can feel it coming at me like a ton of bricks!"

Just then, Aelita pointed towards the city. "Like that over there?"

We all looked to where he pointed, and saw a bright blue sphere of energy fly right towards us at a blinding speed. We barely had time to dodge it before it sailed past us and up into the sky. As we turned back around, we saw numerous other spheres, similar to the first, flying in many different directions. As I looked on, I thought that these spheres looked very familiar.

"What was that?" Dawn asked.

"It felt like the air itself was shaking!" Brock noted.

"Those were Aura Spheres!" Ash and I exclaimed together.

Ash and I nodded, and we both darted towards the source of the action. Before long, we came upon a fenced off piece of land, filled with various Pokémon. Ash and I noticed that the Aura Spheres were flying from that direction, so we led the rest of the gang to follow. Suddenly, one of the Aura Spheres blew a part of the fence away, and we stopped at the hole it made and looked at the scene. What we saw was a barefooted, pink-haired fighter girl with white sweatpants and a black tank top. She was jumping around, very acrobatically, and deflecting some of the Aura Spheres, which I realized were being launched at her. As if on cue, the user of the Aura Spheres came onto the scene.

"It's Lucario!" Ash said, struck with awe.

"So that's a Lucario," I said, and took out my Pokédex for more info.

"_Lucario, The Aura Pokémon, is the evolved form of Riolu,_" the machine spoke. "_By sensing the aura of its opponents, Lucario can read their thoughts and movements._"

Lucario leaped at the girl, but she pushed it back with her bare hands. Lucario then fired another Aura Sphere at the girl, but she kicked it back with her left foot. Lucario simply turned its head, and the Aura Sphere exploded a few meters away.

"Wow, look how she's deflecting those Aura Spheres!" Ash grinned widely.

"What's aura?" Dawn asked.

"It's a mysterious power that some people say dwells within every living thing," Brock explained.

"Think of it like a living being's life force in a form of pure ethereal energy," I elaborated.

"Some people believe it's stronger in some people than in others," James added.

"I wonder how she's doing that," Aelita said, intrigued at this girl's power. I noticed that her eyes were also pink, like her hair, and so were parts of her clothing.

"She looks familiar," James said, "like I read about her in a newspaper or something."

"Please, Lucario," the girl said, "Why are you angry with me?"

Instead of responding with words, or however it spoke, it brought its fists together and created a bo staff in the shape of a bone from its aura.

"Oh no!" she gasped. "Bone Rush!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Lucario lunged at her, trying to strike her with the staff.

"Awesome!" Ash said.

"I don't think that's my definition of awesome, Ash," Aelita said, afraid for this girl.

"Come on, Lucario!" the girl pleaded. "Let's stop!"

But the Aura Pokémon either could not listen or would not obey. Instead, it twirled its staff around, and thrust it at the girl, but she deflected it, causing the aura weapon to dissipate. I thought about trying to stop them, but I felt something was just not right about any of us butting in.

"I wonder what's going on," I said.

"Lucario seems awful intense for just training," Dawn noted.

As we thought about this, a sudden Thunderbolt was fired at Dawn's Piplup, which was sitting up on the hole, and it fell from the fence to the ground, unharmed but surprised. Just then, an Electabuzz came out from behind a tree, chuckling mischievously. I saw that Ash's Pikachu looked surprised, as if it had seen this particular one before. But before anyone could do anything, Piplup lunged at the Electabuzz, but it sent it flying back by thrusting its chest outwards, causing Piplup to slam into Pikachu, Pikachutwo, and Judah, who jumped in to stop Piplup. All four Pokémon got up, growling, and started a fight with the Electabuzz.

"Pikachu, stop it!" Ash barked.

"Pikachutwo, don't fight like that!" James hollered.

"You too, Piplup!" Dawn added.

"Cut it out right now, Judah!" I ordered.

I saw bubbles and thunderbolts fly out from the fight, but then an Aura Sphere exploded around them, and we shielded our eyes form the force of the explosion. When everything cleared, the Pokémon were sprawled around, dazed by the sudden attack.

"Judah, was that you?" I said, running to my partner.

Judah got up and shook his head. "It wasn't me," he said, and then pointed to the Lucario with the girl.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried, and rushed to his fallen Pokémon, as did Dawn and James with Piplup and Pikachutwo.

The girl then ran up to us. "I'm so sorry for what happened!" She then turned to the Lucario. "Lucario, say you're sorry."

The Lucario scoffed, and turned away. "What do you mean 'it was nothing'?"

"Nothing?" Ash asked. Now we were even more confused.

"Would someone mind telling me what's going on here?" James asked, exasperated.

"Maylene!" a voice called from behind us. "What happened?"

We all turned around, and noticed a young man with dark purple hair in a short ponytail and wearing a green apron come up to us. His face looked like someone I had seen before, but the rest of him was completely new.

"Oh, hey Reggie," the girl said, sounding a bit less upset.

Electabuzz began to creep away after getting a glimpse of the man, but he simply raised an eyebrow.

"And where are you going, Electabuzz?" he asked, and Electabuzz turned around, and put its arms behind its head, chuckling sheepishly and looking like a kid whose hand was caught in the cookie jar.

"Hey, that Electabuzz looks kind of familiar," I said.

"Its aura is also familiar," Judah noted.

"Hey, Pikachu," Ash said, "don't you think that looks like Paul's Electabuzz?"

Pikachu nodded, and Judah nodded as well. "He says that it is the same one."

"So you know Paul?" the man asked, and then looked at Pikachu and Judah. "Oh, this must be that Pikachu that can use Volt Tackle. And that must be the talking Riolu that can use Aura Sphere. That's why Electabuzz was giving you grief." He then bowed. "Hi, I'm Reggie, and I know you know my younger brother well."

We all gasped in shock. "You're Paul's older brother?" Ash gasped.

"That Electabuzz is Paul's, all right," Reggie continued. "Since I'm a Pokémon Breeder, Paul decides to leave his Pokémon with me for a little training."

"A Pokémon Breeder?" Aelita asked. "Isn't that what you're training to be, Brock?"

"Yeah," Brock nodded.

"Nice to meet you, Reggie," Ash smiled. "My name is Ash, and I'm here to challenge the Veilstone Gym!"

"I'm challenging the Veilstone City Gym as well," James said. "Has Paul had a battle over there yet?"

"He has," he nodded, and looked at the girl. "He defeated her."

"Whoa," Ash gawked. "She's the Gym Leader?"

"Yep," Reggie nodded. "Say hello to Maylene, the Veilstone City Gym Leader!"

"I knew I'd seen her before!" James snapped his fingers. "Maylene, the new Gym Leader! I read about you in newspaper a few days ago while researching the Gyms!"

"Wow!" Ash grinned excitedly. "You've even got a Lucario, too! Can we have a Gym Battle soon?"

"And once he's done, can we have on as well?" James asked, also eager. "I've never seen a Gym Leader with a Lucario before!"

She looked surprised by this, and smiled nervously. "Sorry, but could you both go look for another gym instead?"

As soon as she spoke, she was sent flying by Lucario's Aura Sphere, and fell backwards. Needless to say, we were all surprised by this sudden behavior.

"Lucario's been pushing Maylene like that all day," Reggie said, a serious look on his face. "It's not happy with her as a battle partner recently."

"What about those Aura Spheres?" Dawn asked.

"That must have been Lucario training the Trainer," Brock said.

"Training the Trainer?" Ash raised an eyebrow.

"Something smells fishy," James said, folding his arms, "and it isn't Magikarp."

Maylene got up and growled at Lucario. "I told you to stop!"

"Unacceptable!" came a voice, and a trio of black belt fighters walked up to Maylene. "I thought I'd find you here, Maylene," the leader of the trio said.

"Please understand," she said. "I don't want to go back to the Gym!"

"Stop this at once!" the man said, a harsh look on his face. "A Gym Leader does not act in this manner in front of other Trainers!"

"Who are they?" James asked, slightly intimidated by their stature.

"Those Black Belts are students at the Veilstone Gym," Reggie replied. "Maylene is actually well respected as a battler, but she's only been the Gym Leader for six months and they've been trying to toughen her up."

"I don't want to be Gym Leader anymore!" Maylene pleaded.

Lucario growled and fired another Aura Sphere, but Maylene backhanded it, and sent it flying into the sky and hung her head low. I noticed that her look was now a mixture of both anger and sadness.

"Is it because of Paul?" Reggie asked as we walked up to her.

We all looked dazed for a few seconds, including Maylene.

"I thought so," Reggie frowned.

"What do you mean by that?" Aelita asked, curious.

"Veilstone Gym is a Fighting-Type Gym," Reggie replied. "Paul entered with Flying-Type Pokémon, which is a smart strategy. His Murkrow had evolved into a Honchkrow, and he polished off Maylene's first and second Pokémon in no time flat. When he fought Lucario, he cleverly used a Magmar, which is a Fire-Type, and was effective against the Steel-Type Lucario."

Aelita and I noticed that Maylene looked more and more pained with each word that the breeder spoke. As Reggie finished, Maylene looked like she was going to cry. "I was totally out of sync with Lucario and all of my Pokémon. I didn't even look like a battle with a Gym Leader. I don't even blame the challenger for what he said."

"What did Paul say?" Ash growled, clearly angry.

"As if we all couldn't already guess," I muttered to James and Judah.

"'You're the weakest,'" she replied, her voice heavy and breaking with sorrow. "'The weakest Leader I ever fought, and this lightweight Badge is just like you.'"

I furrowed my brow, and I could hear Dawn and Aelita sigh in pity. Ash and Judah growled in anger, and I also let a scowl creep across my face. Reggie sighed deeply, and he looked pained by what she said, not for his sake but for Maylene's sake.

"That arrogant creep…" I heard James growl under his breath.

"I'm sorry," he said, "but Paul has always had a bit of a cruel streak in him."

"I wonder how his parents dealt with him," Judah whispered to me.

"But the thing is he was completely right," Maylene said. "I appreciate everything Lucario has done for me…but I'm sorry!" With that she turned around and ran away.

Lucario tried to follow her, but she cried back, "Just stay away!"

"Master Maylene," the leader sighed sympathetically as the devastated battle girl ran off into the forest.

"Connally," Reggie said, "I'd like you to let Lucario and I have a word with Maylene."

"All right," he nodded. "If that's what you wish, Master Reggie."

Reggie then turned to Ash. "I'm sorry about you having to come all that way for this."

"It's okay," Ash shrugged. "I would have liked to battle Lucario, though."

Brock put his hand on Ash's shoulder. "Let's look for a Gym somewhere else."

Ash nodded, but I could sense disapproval in his actions. Lucario objected with an angry growl, and he sounded like he wanted to fight Ash as bad as Ash himself did.

"I'm not leaving until Ash and I get that badge!" James shouted, surprising everyone. He then turned to Reggie with an angry look on his face. "I've had enough of that cruel punk that you call a brother! He did the same exact thing he did here to Gardenia at the Eterna City Gym, and she got really upset as well!"

"Huh?" Reggie gasped, clearly not expecting this outburst. Lucario also looked surprised.

"If you know that what your brother is doing is bad, then why don't you stop him?" he yelled. Before any of us could say or do anything in response, James took off after Maylene. "I'm going to talk to Maylene, get her confidence back, win the badge fair and square, and I'll find and beat your bratty little brother if it's the last thing I do!"

Reggie looked shocked and surprised at what James just said, but Lucario smiled, probably at something he sensed in James' aura. Piplup tugged at Dawn's skirt, and Dawn nodded at her Penguin Pokémon.

"Lucario, can you lead us where Maylene is?" Dawn asked. "Piplup and I want to talk to her too!"

Lucario grunted as it nodded, and ran off down the road with Dawn and Piplup following him.

"Mind if I tag along?" Judah asked me.

"No, not at all," I nodded, and Judah followed the trio, who would later join up with James.

"I hope James knows what he's doing," Ash said as he watched the company dash off into the horizon.

(-o-)

Maylene was meditating by a brook, trying to calm herself down after her emotional outburst not five minutes ago. The wind was calm, as was the water, her eyes were closed, and she had just achieved peace with herself and with her surroundings. Just then, the air behind her alerted her to some new company.

"Please," she muttered, "please, Lucario, let me be."

Something in the air told her that it was more than Lucario, and she opened her eyes and turned around to see James, Dawn, Judah, and Piplup come up to her, along with Lucario.

"What do you want?" she asked, bewildered.

"I was hoping we could talk," James said, sitting down next to the Gym Leader.

"I don't want to talk about anything right now," she said, frowning sadly.

"Just hear me out," James said kindly. "I want to let you know that everything that jerk said to you is totally wrong."He then sighed. "But even if that wasn't the case, I can see why you're so nervous. You've only been the Gym Leader for a short while, and the pressure is setting in kinda late."

"I know how you feel as well," Dawn said, sitting down on the other side of Maylene. "I didn't get past the first round for two Contests in a row. I'm taking a break."

Maylene looked surprised at the relation between her and Dawn, and also noticed Judah and Piplup jumping into the brook for a swim.

"I tell everyone I'm just recharging my batteries," Dawn said, "but to be totally honest, sometimes I think I'm just not cut out for contests."

"I can relate," Maylene said, smiling at last. "To tell the truth, every time I start to consider that winning or losing a gym battle could change a challenger's whole life, it kinda scares me. I just can't concentrate the way I used to."

Lucario growled angrily at this, and Maylene flinched in fear. "Please don't be angry!" she whimpered.

"Yeah, Lucario," Dawn nodded, "listen to what she has to say!"

"If you let her be cooped up like this and only lash out at her," Judah said, coming out of the creek, "then she'll never get her confidence back!"

"Oh wow!" Maylene gasped. "I had no idea that Riolu could talk!"

"Well, most of us can't," Judah shrugged, "but I'm a special case. Anyway, Lucario is only pushing you because he wants you to get out of this funk you're in and get back to battling like you mean it! Think about how all of your Pokémon felt when they lost! They'll only feel worse if you stay like this!"

"But I just can't be a Gym Leader feeling this way," Maylene said, curling into a fetal position, "especially after what Reggie's younger brother said to me."

"That's just the kind of person Paul is!" Dawn waved, "don't let it bother you!"

"But know that what he said and did was wrong!" James said. "You're not weak at all, he's just a cheap-shot smart-mouthed wannabe who uses Pokémon as weapons and treats them and people like dirt! He will pay for what he's done! I'll make sure of that myself if I have to!"

"You sure sound passionate with this," Maylene noted.

"That's because I believe that Pokémon battles are contests of strength and meant to be fun," James said, "and people like Paul use them as an excuse to be bullies and really hurt other people."

"It used to be fun whether I won or lost," Maylene said, uncurling her body and reclining back.

"Yeah, I know," Dawn nodded, doing the same. "I only lost twice and now I'm not even sure what to do anymore. Sometimes I feel like my contests are holding Ash back from his dreams."

"And sometimes," Maylene added, "I feel like I'm just causing trouble for Lucario and my students."

Lucario made a series of low grunts, but it did not look angry at her. His eyes showed compassion for his Trainer, and a willingness to do anything to get her back on her feet. James picked up on it, and stood up, inspired.

"Lucario, you must care an awful lot about Maylene and you want to battle with her again, don't you?" he asked, and Lucario nodded, surprised that James understood it perfectly.

"That's what I was thinking!" Dawn added. "I also thought about this: how about you and I have a battle, Maylene?"

"Why you?" Maylene asked.

"It'll be good for the both of us, and Lucario as well!" Dawn replied. "What do you say?"

At first Maylene frowned sadly, but then looked at Lucario and smiled. "Well, if you say so."

Lucario smiled and made a grunt of gratitude to Dawn. He also made a nod to James, who nodded in acknowledgement as well.

(-o-)

Reggie led Ash, Brock, Aelita, and I to his house, and treated Terra, Chimchar, and Pikachu to his special breed of Pokémon food while he started to tell us about Maylene and Lucario.

"I'm sorry if James caused you trouble with his explosion," I said.

"No, it's all right," Reggie said, but his expression was one of worry and of slight disgust. "I know that Paul's not the nicest kid around, but he's not really bad."

"Tell that to my side," Ash grumbled under his breath.

"What?" Reggie asked.

"Uh," Ash stuttered, "I said, 'how long has Maylene been at this?'"

"Maylene and Lucario have been a famous battling team in Veilstone City for quite some time before she was Gym Leader," he began. "It was big news when she was announced as the new Gym Leader. But as you can see, she's begun to have a few doubts about herself."

"Everyone has doubts in the beginning," Brock said, "especially Gym Leaders who have to learn how to win a battle under intense pressure."

"Yeah, you'd know about that, all right," Ash nodded.

"That's right," Aelita nodded, "Brock is the Gym Leader of Pewter City."

"I'm gonna take a wild guess here and say that Lucario was trying to bring Maylene's spirits up," I said. "I admire its aim, but I do think its methods were a little too much overkill."

"Well, Lucario has been with Maylene since the beginning of her Trainer career," Reggie said, "ever since it was a Riolu."

"Wow, that long?" Aelita looked shocked.

"I can tell that Lucario cares a lot about Maylene," I said. "But maybe it needs a new approach with her."

"Speaking of Riolu," Reggie said, "I was going to ask, how in the world did you manage to beat Paul when you just started out?"

"Well, I think most of it was sheer luck," I said, rubbing the back of my head. "I can't really blame Paul for thinking that I cheated. Judah knew a lot of really strong moves."

"Oh yeah," Reggie said, nodding his head. "How does your Riolu know Aura Sphere anyway?"

"Well, he says that he comes from a place where they learn how to do it before they evolve," I replied, "and that's also how he learned how to speak in human. Unusually strong Pokémon beat other unusually strong Pokémon, I guess."

Reggie rubbed his chin in thought, and then looked at Chimchar. He then smiled and began to pet it. "I remember this guy! How are you?" Chimchar chattered happily in response. "So, Ash, I bet Paul has really put you through the mill with all of those intense battle strategies he always comes up with."

At this, Ash's face grew cold. "I don't care about any of that," he growled, clenching his glass tightly. "The most important thing in battle is to be one with your Pokémon! Grr… I'm gonna beat that guy one day…"

"I'd like to see that," Reggie smiled. "A battle between you two sounds great. But how about we have a battle right now?"

"Huh?" Ash looked confused.

"I know it's no substitute for Maylene," Reggie said, "but I'd like to see how Paul's rival stacks up. What do you say, Ash?"

Ash grinned. "I say you've got a battle! We'll use the same 3-on-3 rules with Paul, meaning that the best two out of three wins!"

"Sounds good to me," Reggie smiled, nodding.

"Okay!" Ash cheered, and dashed outside with Pikachu and Chimchar.

"Chimchar has really grown up," Reggie said, looking at the Chimp Pokémon, "thanks to Ash's hard work."

We all nodded, and then Brock noticed five gold-framed plaques, full of Gym Badges, on the fireplace mantel.

"Are all of these Paul's?" he asked.

Reggie shook his head. "No, Brock, they're mine. C'mon, let's go."

Brock was about to follow Reggie and Ash when he took notice of the plaque on the far left side of the mantel. Aelita and I also stole a glance at the plaques, curious as to what they were.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Except for this one, all of these are Gym Badges from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh," he replied. "But these gold 'badges' are Frontier Symbols from the Battle Frontier."

"Battle Frontier?" Aelita asked. "I think Ash mentioned that place once. Isn't that the name of the battle facilities that were spread throughout the Kanto region that Ash took on after he came home from the Hoenn region?"

"Exactly," Brock nodded. "There are seven facilities, each headed by a leader known as a Frontier Brain. When Trainers defeat a Frontier Brain, they are awarded with a Frontier Symbol as proof of their victory."

"Wow," I said, and looked at the symbols with awe. As I looked, I realized something. "Hey, you said there were seven, right? How come there are only six in this case?"

"That's what I was asking myself," the breeder and Gym Leader said.

"Maybe he didn't win?" Aelita shrugged.

"And maybe that has something to do with Paul," Brock added.

"How do you work that out?" I asked.

"The symbol that's missing is the Brave Symbol," he replied, "and that Symbol is only awarded to those who beat the toughest of the Frontier Brains: the Battle Pyramid King, Brandon."

"Wow!" Aelita gasped. "Is he really a king?"

"No, he's not a real king," Brock shook his head. "It's just a Frontier Brain title. The Battle Tower has the Salon Maiden Anabel, the Battle factory has the Factory Head Noland, the Battle Arena has the Arena Tycoon Greta, the Battle Palace has the Palace Maven Spencer, the Battle Dome has the Dome Ace Tucker, and the Battle Pike has the Pike Queen Lucy."

"Okay," I said. "And those Symbols are for defeating them all?"

"Yes," he replied. "Spencer awards the Spirit Symbol, Noland has the Knowledge Symbol, Greta gives out the Guts Symbol, Tucker holds the Tactics Symbol, Anabel gives out the Ability Symbol, Lucy has the Luck Symbol, and Brandon awards the Brave Symbol."

"So you're saying that he didn't beat Brandon?" I reasoned.

"That's the idea," he said, "but for now we've got a battle to watch!"

"Okay," I said, and took one last look at the incomplete set of Frontier Symbols before I left the house and went back out to the front yard.

(-o-)

As we headed out to watch Ash's battle against Reggie, we noticed that Maylene, Dawn, Piplup, Lucario, and Judah were sitting on the porch while Brock was standing to judge the match.

"Oh, Judah!" I greeted my partner. "How'd it go?"

"Interesting, to say the least," Judah replied. "She was certainly surprised to find out that I could talk."

"I'd only heard of that sort of stuff in legends," Maylene said.

"Dawn also came up with a great idea for getting Maylene's confidence back," Judah added.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked.

"You'll see soon enough," Judah said. "Right now, I wanna watch this battle!"

I turned, and noticed that Ash had called out Turtwig while Reggie used a Bibarel. Ash's Pikachu, Chimchar, and Gligar stood next to their Trainer in order to pick up some tips for their next battles, or first in Gligar's case. Reggie let Ash have the first move, and the battle began.

Ash's Turtwig fired an Energy Ball, but Bibarel deflected it with Super Fang. It then used Secret Power to damage Turtwig and cause it to fall asleep. It then used Take Down to deal massive damage to Turtwig, but also took a sizable amount of recoil damage. The attack was enough to wake up the Tiny Turtle Pokémon, and it was able to jump away from Bibarel's Ice Beam, and fire another Energy Ball at Bibarel, causing great damage. It then fired a strong Razor Leaf, which knocked Bibarel out.

As we watched the battle, I saw Maylene's fists clench in excitement. She was also smiling in admiration and awe of Ash's strength and the power his Pokémon possessed. Lucario also noticed it, and smiled like he had seen a bit of Maylene's old self shine through. Judah, James, Aelita, and I also smiled at this.

The second round had Ash using Staravia and Reggie using a Pokémon called Swalot, a Poison Bag Pokémon. Ash kept attacking it with Staravia, but Swalot used a move called Stockpile to raise its defense while storing power for a counterattack, which it launched with a move called Spit Up. This move released the power Swalot gathered with Stockpile. The power was enough to completely blow Staravia out of the sky.

However, when Ash's Pikachu went against Reggie's Staraptor in the last round, Pikachu was nearly blown away by a powerful move called Brave Bird, but it was still able to hang on and finish it off with a combo of Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, and a midair Volt Tackle.

"That was amazing," Reggie said. "You and your Pokémon are really in tune with each other. I can't remember the last time I had a battle like that. If you want, I can still teach your Staravia that new move I mentioned before our battle!"

"I'm guessing that was Brave Bird!" Ash smiled

"With Staravia's speed, you'll have it down in no time," Reggie nodded. "I guarantee it."

He then turned to face Maylene. "So, do you want that battle with Ash yet?"

Maylene still looked distraught, but then Dawn stepped up.

"Now, hold on!" she said. "Excuse me… but I asked for a battle first!"

Needless to say, we were all stunned by this, apart from Judah and James.

"Is this what you meant by Dawn's plan being a secret, Judah?" I asked, and he nodded.

"Speaking of which," Maylene said, "do you mind if we have our battle first thing tomorrow? I've got a lot of training to prepare for our match, and I'd like to get started on it right away."

Dawn nodded. "Sure thing! Tomorrow it is. We'd better get ready too, right Piplup?"

The Penguin Pokémon nodded in agreement.

"And we'll get to work on Brave Bird!" Ash added. "Staravia's gonna learn that new move in a flash!"

"And we'll get to work on cheering all three of you on!" I said. "This is gonna be the first real Gym Battle I'll ever see, and I bet it's gonna be one battle I don't wanna miss!"

"And don't forget about me!" James chimed in. "This is going to be my very first Gym Battle that I'm physically going to be in!"

"You can bet on it!" I nodded, and so did Judah.

(-o-)

**(-o-) Episode 2: Fiery Fists of Fighting (-o-)**

**James' POV**

It was about nine in the morning the next day when we all stood outside of the Veilstone Gym, which was built like a large fighting dojo. We had all gotten a good rest and woke up bright and early to make it on time. Dawn said that she was more than a bit worried, but Ash ensured her that, as long as she gave it her very best, everything would be all right whether she won or lost. Leave it to a kid who's gone through three leagues in three years to come up with good advice about preparation for Gym Battles. Dawn stood in front of the gym, ready to make her challenge known.

"I challenge the Veilstone Gym!" she shouted loudly.

As soon as she said it, the doors opened, and we all walked inside.

"Way to go!" Ash cheered. "You shout with a big voice, just like a real Gym challenger!"

"Thanks," she blushed, and we made our way to the battle room.

When we found the room, we noticed that Maylene and Lucario were waiting for us at the other side of the ring. The Black Belts were acting as referees, with Connally acting as the judge. Reggie was already there, sitting at the challenger's side of the sidelines.

"Thanks for coming!" Maylene said.

"Thank you for accepting my challenge!" Dawn said as she took her place opposite to Maylene.

"I should be the one thanking you," Maylene said. "Without your words I probably never would have gone through with this."

Ash, Brock, Jeremy, Aelita, and I sat next to Reggie on the sidelines. I had to admit, it was pretty cool to be this close to the action instead of watching through a window like when I was with Jessie and Meowth in Team Rocket. As I removed my boots and squatted down, I not only noticed that Ash didn't remove his shoes, but Jeremy had ankle-length socks when he removed his shoes.

"Wow, I didn't know they made socks that short," I said.

"I had no idea Ash was so irreverent," he said, nudging Ash's shoulder. "Hey, shoes off, Ash."

Ash looked confused at first, but then looked at his shoes and nodded, taking them off. "Sorry about that, I was just thinking about how awesome the battle is gonna be, and I totally forgot about that."

"No harm done," Jeremy said.

"So," Connally said, "the Gym Battle between Dawn the challenger and Maylene the Gym Leader is about to begin! Each side will use three Pokémon, and the battle is over when all Pokémon on one side are unable to battle. Also, only the challenger will be allowed to make substitutions."

"Buneary, you're up!" Dawn said, and called out her Long Ear Pokémon, who winked at Pikachu upon her entry. Pikachu waved in reply.

"Buneary asked Pikachu to wish her luck," Judah said to Jeremy and I.

"I figured as much," I said, "since Buneary likes Pikachu a lot."

"Meditite, come on out!" Maylene shouted, and threw her Poké Ball into the air.

A blue bodied Pokémon, with white markings on its wrists and a white turban-shaped head came out, and was hovering above the ground while in a meditation pose. Jeremy whipped out his Pokédex for more info.

"_Meditite, the Meditate Pokémon,_" the machine read. "_Meditite uses meditation to increase its power, never skipping a single day of yoga training._"

"That's both a Fighting-Type and a Psychic-Type," Judah said as Jeremy put away his Pokédex. "This could be interesting."

"Hold on," I said, pointing at Dawn. "She's looking pretty nervous."

Sure enough, Dawn was gritting her teeth nervously, and even Maylene looked unsure what to do next. As I wondered what was to happen next, Ash got up.

"Hey, Dawn! Maylene!" he cheered. "Both of you have fun out there! Make sure that you fight with all your strength and have a great battle!"

Both fighters were stunned for a moment, but then Maylene grinned. "Thanks a lot, Ash. We'll be sure to do that. Won't we, Dawn?"

"You bet!" Dawn said, nodding and grinning.

"Wow, looks like they're ready to go!" Reggie said.

"Ash has a knack for instilling confidence," Brock noted.

"So I see," Aelita nodded.

"So, the first attack goes to the challenger!" Connally declared. "Let the battle… BEGIN!"

"Buneary, use Bounce!" Dawn cried.

Buneary bounced high into the air, and aimed its foot right at Meditite as it came back down.

"That's a Flying-Type move," I noted, "so it will be super effective!"

"Meditite, Detect!" Maylene shouted.

Meditite's eyes glowed green, and it hovered away from the attack without moving a muscle. Dawn and Buneary didn't expect this, and Buneary crashed to the ground. Ash and Jeremy were shocked and surprised.

"What just happened?" Jeremy asked. "How could it dodge without moving?"

"Detect is a move that avoids an opponent's attack," Brock explained.

"Maylene must have known that and prepared for Flying-Type moves," I reasoned.

"Now it's my turn!" Maylene said, and gave a punch. "Use Drain Punch!"

To our surprise, Meditite's Drain Punch mimicked the punch that Maylene threw.

"Maylene and Meditite threw the same punch!" Jeremy said.

"That's how Maylene has done it," Reggie explained. "Since she herself is a warrior, she mimics her Pokémon and makes herself stronger."

"Talk about being one with your Pokémon," Aelita said, stunned.

Buneary tried to escape by spinning around, but it still got caught in the attack, and had its energy drained. It got up after getting knocked down, but it was visibly weaker than before.

"That Drain Punch packs a crunch of a punch!" I said. "Maybe I should get Maylene to give Cacturne a few pointers after their battle!"

"Don't give up, Buneary!" Dawn shouted. "Use Ice Beam!"

Buneary shot the attack, and froze the Meditate Pokémon into a solid block of ice. As excited as I was, I couldn't help but think that it was almost too easy. Sure enough, Maylene grinned.

"Meditite, use Confusion!" she said, and thrust her arms out wide.

Meditite's eyes glowed purple, and the ice around it broke as it threw its arms out like Maylene. It then threw the ice chunks at Buneary, but it dodged them all.

"One more time, Meditite!" Maylene said, making hand motions. "Confusion!"

Meditite mimicked Maylene's gestures, and its psychic powers lifted and suspended Buneary high in the air.

"Now, to the ground!" Maylene shouted, and thrust her right arm down. Of course, Meditite copied the motion.

"Buneary, land and use Bounce!" Dawn cried.

Buneary cushioned the landing with its ears, and leaped back into the air. Maylene and Meditite were stunned by Buneary's actions, but they looked ready.

"Now, Meditite!" Maylene shouted, and punched again. "Drain Punch!"

Meditite jumped high into the air, and collided with Buneary's foot. A tremendous explosion sent them both to the ground, and both of them looked injured. However, as soon as it landed, Dawn's Buneary fell over, passed out.

"So!" Connally said, "Buneary is unable to battle!"

"One down," I said to myself. "Maylene's tough, that's for sure."

"I think she's finally getting back to how she used to be," Reggie said, with a wide smile on his face. Clearly, he was very happy for Maylene.

Dawn recalled Buneary, and smiled sadly. "You did great, Buneary. You won't have lost for nothing!" She then brought out her second Poké Ball. "Ambipom, you're up next!"

The Long Tail Pokémon appeared, and linked its tails while winking at Ash. "You give it your all, Ambipom!" Ash cheered.

"Now, use Swift!" Dawn commanded.

The stars that flew from Ambipom's tails surrounded Meditite, and they hit it from all sides, dealing quite a bit of damage.

"Hey, that looks like a Contest move!" Aelita said.

"Meditite, get out of there and use Drain Punch!" Maylene barked, throwing her fist out.

Meditite copied its Trainer, and jumped into the air. However, Ambipom used its tails to block the attack, which shocked everyone present.

"Now, use Double Hit!" Dawn added.

Ambipom's tails glowed purple, and both struck Meditite hard on the head, one after the other. The force sent Meditite crashing down to the ground, knocking it out.

"So! Meditite is unable to battle!" Connally said.

As Dawn cheered for her Pokémon, Maylene recalled hers. At first glance of her face, I thought she was going to be depressed again. However, a smirk of confidence crept along her face.

"It seems you battle like just like a Contest," Maylene said. "That's very interesting. But I also have a plan." She turned to her faithful partner, Lucario, who looked at her with a look of wonder and smiled, nodding. Lucario leaped into the ring and struck a fighter pose, roaring very ferociously.

"So, Lucario's next?" Dawn said. "No need to worry! Ambipom, use Double hit!"

Maylene brought her fists together above her head, and brought them out, as if extending a staff. "Bone Rush!" she shouted.

Lucario mimicked her motions and not only parried the hits with its ethereal staff, but also knocked Ambipom to the back of the ring, causing it to hit its head on one of the wooden support beams and fall to the ground, knocked out.

"So! Ambipom is unable to battle!" Connally declared.

"Well done, Lucario," Maylene commented, and Lucario gave its staff a twirl before it faded.

"Oh man," Jeremy said. "Down in one hit! Maylene sure is one heck of a strong Gym Leader!"

"No joke," I nodded.

"Dawn has awakened Maylene's passion for battle," Reggie said. "When she and Lucario are in perfect sync… well, let's just say I defy anyone to find any weakness in their teamwork."

"Well, here goes," Dawn said, calling out her last Pokémon. "Piplup, come on out!" The Penguin Pokémon popped out, ready to fight against Lucario. "Give it all you've got! Use Bubblebeam!"

A stream of bubbles shot from Piplup's beak and headed right at Lucario.

"Dodge them, then use Aura Sphere!" Maylene said, bringing her hands together and mimicking using the aforementioned attack. Lucario did so, and scored a direct hit at Piplup, but it got back up as soon as it had been knocked down.

"Lucario's strong," I said, "but Piplup's tough."

"I may be new to Gym Battles," Dawn said, "but I'm no beginner Trainer! Now, Piplup, use Whirlpool!"

A towering cyclone of water appeared above Piplup's head, and it threw it at the Aura Pokémon, trapping it in the maelstrom.

"Lucario's trapped!" Dawn cheered. "Piplup, now use Peck!"

Piplup's beak glowed and it charged through the whirlpool at breakneck speeds towards Lucario.

"Using Contest moves to cover the bad match," Jeremy said, rubbing his chin. "That's brilliant!"

"But not brilliant enough!" Maylene said, and then made a slashing motion with her wrists. "Now, use Metal Claw!"

Instantly, three metallic claws came from each of the spikes on Lucario's wrists, and slashed the water away, and also stopped Piplup's Peck. It then dashed towards Piplup as Dawn ordered another Bubblebeam, and then pressed its palm against Piplup's chest.

"Now, Force Palm!" Maylene shouted.

Instantly, a blast of pure power shot Piplup backwards, and its body was now giving off a lot of sparks. Everyone, including Ash and myself, were shocked by this new move and by its power.

"Pardon my French, and no pun intended," Aelita said, "but what the heck was that?"

"Force Palm is a powerful Fighting-Type move," Reggie stated. "You get past your opponent's defense, and then hit them with massive power focused in your palm."

Piplup struggled to get back up for a while, but then shook off the sparks. As it did, Maylene and Lucario gave a chuckle.

"You're right, Lucario," she said. "It's been quite a while since we've had a battle this fun."

"I wonder if _this_ Maylene would have been beaten by Paul," Reggie snickered.

"Lucario, use Aura Sphere once more!" Maylene said, and both performed the same move.

"Piplup, use Peck!" Dawn cried, and Piplup shot forward, breaking the Aura Sphere with its beak, shocking the Trainer and Pokémon, and hitting Lucario square in the chest and sending it reeling backwards. Lucario did not lose its footing, and regained its momentum very quickly.

"You're really good at this for your first time, Dawn," Maylene commented, "but it ends here! Once again, Aura Sphere!"

Pokémon and Trainer moved as one, and the Aura Sphere fired at Piplup with blinding speed. Dawn ordered Piplup to fire a Bubblebeam, which impacted the Aura Sphere and caused a huge smokescreen to envelop the field.

"Now, use Peck!" Dawn cried, and the Penguin Pokémon lunged forward. However, when the cloud cleared, Lucario was gone. Shocked, Piplup looked up, to see that Lucario was right above it and ready to attack.

"Force Palm!" Maylene cried, and Lucario plummeted to the ground. The force of the attack caused a tremendous explosion, and when the dust settled, Lucario removed its palm from Piplup, who laid flat on the ground, out cold.

"Piplup is unable to battle!" Connally said, with tears in his eyes. "This means that the victor is the Gym Leader, Maylene!"

"Wow," I said. "I felt that this would happen, but not like this."

"Same here," Jeremy added.

Dawn picked up her Pokémon, and smiled. "Thank you, Piplup. That was a great battle." Piplup looked ashamed, but Dawn's smile caused it to be slightly cheery about its loss.

"That really was a great battle," Jeremy said. "You've given me one heck of a first impression about Gym Battles, Dawn."

"Well, you just wait until Ash battles Maylene," Dawn said. "You'll be in for a real battle."

"That's right," Maylene said. "Well, give us until about noon, and we'll be ready for you."

"Really?" Ash grinned happily.

"Of course," Maylene smiled. "Dawn's battle reminded me of how much fun I should have whenever I have a battle, whether I win or lose. Ash, I look forward to a battle with you." She also turned to me. "And once he's had his turn, I'd like to battle with you, James!"

"Then we'll see you tonight!" Ash and James cheered, and Pikachu, Pikachutwo, and the rest of us cheered as well.

**(-o-) Episode 3: A Triple Fighting Chance (-o-)**

**Aelita's POV**

Later that day, right after lunch, we were inside the Gym once more. However, Ash was standing in the ring this time, and Dawn was in her cheerleader outfit on the sidelines, along with her Piplup, Buneary, Pachirisu, and Ambipom. Ash had trained with Staravia on how to use Brave Bird after the battle, and from what I saw, it looked like it could do it now without even thinking. Reggie also returned, though he had a lot of work to do with Paul's Pokémon beforehand, since he was a Pokémon Breeder and all.

"Glad you made it Ash," Maylene said when Ash took his place in the ring.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world!" Ash grinned.

"I have a feeling that this is going to be awesome," Jeremy said, grinning eagerly.

"I've seen quite a few of his Gym Battles across the other regions," I said, "but this one may just cap them all."

"Come on, Ash!" Dawn cheered. "Fight, fight, fight! Maylene, Maylene, do it right!"

"Cheering for both sides, Dawn?" Brock chuckled.

"All I want is to see the greatest battle Ash has fought yet!" she replied.

"I'm anxious to see how Ash's Gym Battles go too," Jeremy said. "And this is gonna be certainly one to remember."

"So!" Connally began. "The Gym Battle between Maylene the Gym Leader and Ash the challenger is about to begin! Each side will use three Pokémon, and the battle is over when all three Pokémon on one side are unable to battle. Also, only the challenger will be allowed to substitute Pokémon."

"Alright," Maylene said, tossing out her first Poké Ball. "Machoke, come on out!"

As soon as the towering muscular Pokémon appeared, Jeremy scanned it with his Pokédex.

"_Machoke, the Superpower Pokémon,_" the machine read. "_With enough strength to lift a giant truck with one hand, Machoke are often used to do extremely heavy work._"

"No problem!" Ash said, and brought out his first Pokémon. "Staravia, I choose you!" The Starling Pokémon sailed high into the air after it was called out.

"And now," Connally said, "BATTLE BEGIN!"

"Staravia, use Quick Attack!" Ash shouted, and Staravia flew straight at Machoke with blinding speed. However, Maylene grinned as the attack came close.

"Use Brick Break!" she said, and made a chopping motion with her right arm. Her Pokémon copied it, and it blocked Ash's Pokémon's attack.

"She used Brick Break as a shield!" Dawn gasped.

"That sounds exactly like something a warrior like Maylene would do," Brock noted.

"You're right, Brock," Reggie nodded, grinning widely.

"No way we're letting that pass!" Ash said. "Push back with Aerial Ace!"

Staravia flew at Machoke, the air swirling around it, but Maylene grinned.

"Counter by getting under it, then use Cross Chop!" she said as she crossed her arms.

Machoke ducked under the oncoming attack, and then sliced its own attack at Staravia, causing it massive damage.

"I get it!" Jeremy said. "Maylene knew Ash would get in close with Quick Attack and Aerial Ace, so she developed a strategy for that scenario!"

"And a strategy like that is dead-on!" I noted.

"Now, keep using Brick Break!" Maylene said, and kept making chops with her arms. Machoke did the same on Staravia, and caused its damage to rapidly accumulate.

"Staravia can't take much more for long!" Brock gasped, and Ash growled.

"Time to finish it with Seismic Toss!" Maylene said, and then imitated grabbing something and tossing it down hard. Machoke then reached out at Staravia, but then Ash called out:

"Use Quick Attack!"

Instantly, Staravia's Eyes opened, and it pounded its beak and body into Machoke, Startling Maylene.

"Now, Aerial Ace!" Ash cried.

Staravia quickly turned around, and collided with Machoke with awesome power and speed.

"That was a critical hit!" Dawn cheered.

"And its effects were doubled due to its intense speed from Quick Attack!" Brock added.

"All into one power-packed package!" I cheered. Sure enough, Maylene's Machoke went down hard and stayed down.

"So, Machoke is unable to battle!" Connally proclaimed.

Maylene recalled her Pokémon, smiled sadly for a second, and then gave a big grin at Ash. "I'm impressed by your Pokémon's speed and power. Switching from Quick Attack to Aerial Ace like that is just awesome!" She then brought out her second Poké Ball. "And now for my second Pokémon! Meditite, come on out!"

"Why am I not surprised?" Reggie asked as the Meditate Pokémon appeared.

"Watch out for those Psychic moves, Ash!" I called out.

"No problem!" Ash said. "Use Quick Attack!"

Staravia dashed at Meditite, but it dodged while in its meditation pose.

"Now, use Meditate!" Maylene called out, and Meditite was surrounded in a white aura.

"What's Meditate?" Jeremy asked.

"It's move that raises a Pokémon's attack power." Reggie replied.

Ash tried again, but Maylene repeated the same tactic twice in a row.

"Why is it dodging instead of attacking?" Dawn asked.

"She's using Meditate to max out its power to finish it in one hit!" I said, realizing her plan.

"No way that's gonna happen!" Ash said, and Staravia whirled up a whirlwind, causing Meditite to fly into the wall.

"Bounce off the wall, and use Drain Punch!" Maylene said, jumping and punching. Meditite did so, and slammed into Staravia with massive power due to its usage of Meditate.

"Hang in there, Staravia," Ash said, "and use Aerial Ace!"

Staravia recovered quickly and charged at Meditite, but Maylene was ready.

"Use Confusion!" Maylene commanded, and the Meditate Pokémon used its powers to slam the Starling Pokémon into the ground, where it struck the ground repeatedly with its head, sounding rather crazy.

"Staravia's confused!" Jeremy gasped.

"Staravia, return!" Ash called out, and returned his Pokémon. A smart move, since recalling his Pokémon erased its state of confusion. He then called out a new Pokémon. "Chimchar, I choose you!" Once the Chimp Pokémon appeared, Ash called out, "Use Scratch, now!" It scratched at Meditite, and scored a very fast and very powerful direct hit, leaving both the Gym Leader and her Pokémon impressed.

"Your Chimchar sure is fast," she said. "But so is Meditite! Drain Punch!"

Meditite hit Chimchar squarely in the face, and kept hitting it with Drain Punch.

"Chimchar, dodge it and keep using Scratch!" Ash cried.

"Detect, Meditite!" Maylene shouted.

Chimchar lunged and Meditite was prepared to detect and dodge, but its move failed it and it was slammed back by the force of Chimchar's attack.

"Wow," Maylene said, "your Chimchar's got some impressive battling skills."

"Check out its Fire-Type moves!" Ash said. "Flamethrower, let's go!"

A stream of flame shot form Chimchar's mouth, and caused Meditite to go up in flames.

Ash grinned. "Now let's show 'em Flame Wheel!"

Chimchar surrounded itself in fire and did cartwheels towards Meditite, but Maylene was ready for it.

"Use Confusion!" Maylene cried, and Meditite got rid of the flames and caused Chimchar to go into the wall and scratch at it, much like Staravia did when it was confused.

"Now Chimchar's confused!" Brock stated.

"Chimchar, return!" Ash cried out, complimenting Chimchar before reaching for Staravia's Poké Ball once more. "Staravia, I need you again!" The Pokémon reappeared, completely healed from its confusion.

"Meditite, Drain Punch!" Maylene cried out, but Staravia whirled up another wind, preventing it from attacking.

"Meditite's worn out from battling with Chimchar!" Reggie stated.

"Now's your chance, Ash!" Dawn cried.

"Staravia, quick!" Ash cheered, "let's show 'em Brave Bird!"

Staravia flew down at the ground, engulfed in fire, and then spread its wings out and became engulfed in a vivid blue aura as it charged forward with tremendous speed and power. Meditite tried to deflect it with Confusion, but it couldn't use the move, and was sent sailing when the attack hit Meditite dead center. It then dropped to the ground and laid flat on its back, dazed and knocked out.

"So!" Connally declared, "Meditite is unable to battle!"

Ash and the others were elated, but Jeremy and I knew that Brave bird was a risky move because it dealt damage to its wielder. And from the look on Staravia giving off sparks, it looked like it was in big trouble because of the dangerous attack.

Maylene recalled Meditite, and then smiled again. "Looks like you two have Brave Bird down pat! You should be proud of yourselves!"

"It was thanks to everyone's awesome help that we were able to get it done just in the nick of time!" Ash said.

"But now the real battle begins!" Maylene said, and called out her final Pokémon. "Lucario, come on out!"

As the Aura Pokémon appeared, we all felt the atmosphere in the battle get a whole lot more intense.

"Finally!" Ash cheered. "Lucario's up! Let's rock and roll with Brave Bird!"

I was shocked by this sudden order, and so was everyone else. But then again, Ash had been known for making extremely rash decisions that normally paid off big for him, at least according to Brock and James. However, this was one of the many occasion where his luck would run out.

"Metal Claw!" Maylene cried, and Lucario slashed away Brave Bird and knocked Staravia to the ground, causing it to faint.

"Staravia is unable to battle!" Connally declared, and Ash and I hissed.

"I knew Brave Bird was dangerous to use right off the bat," Jeremy said, and Brock nodded.

"Man oh man," Ash said as he recalled Staravia. "Lucario's tough." But then he smirked as he brought out Chimchar's Poké Ball again. "Chimchar, back at it! Use Flamethrower!"

Chimchar reappeared and fired a red-hot Flamethrower, but Lucario dodged it easily. It kept flaming, and Lucario kept dodging, so Ash decided to switch strategies.

"Chimchar, use Scratch!" Ash cried, but as Chimchar got in close, Lucario dodged and placed its palm on Chimchar's chest.

"Force Palm!" Maylene yelled, and Chimchar was shot back. As it got up, it started giving off yellow sparks.

"Chimchar's been paralyzed!" I gasped.

"Snap out of it and use Flame Wheel!" Ash cried, and Chimchar did just that, and hit Lucario with awesome power, causing it to go far back to Maylene. It got back up and grinned.

"Indeed, Lucario," Maylene said. "Chimchar's strong. But we're stronger! Use Bone Rush!"

Lucario's ethereal bo staff appeared, but Ash was ready this time.

"Use Dig to get away!" Ash shouted, and Chimchar dug a hole to escape.

"Lucario, find out where it is by sensing its aura!" Maylene shouted, and Lucario closed it eyes and moved its hand around the arena. I noticed that the aura sensors on its head were hovering in the air. It stopped suddenly, and fired an Aura Sphere at the ground. Chimchar was thrown out, and then it used Metal Claw, sending it flying back into a support beam, and then it slumped to the ground, knocked out cold.

"Chimchar is unable to battle!" Connally declared, much to our shock. Chimchar, Ash's last type advantage was taken out with it only scoring one hit against Lucario. Now Ash had only one Pokémon left.

"Supreme speed and power," Jeremy said, breathlessly. "Man, I wonder if Judah will be like that when he evolves."

Ash recalled Chimchar, and then gripped his last Poké Ball tightly. "It's all up to you! Buizel, I choose you!" The Sea Weasel Pokémon shot out and struck a fighter's pose at Lucario. Lucario grinned at it, sensing that Buizel was a strong and proud fighter, much like Lucario itself.

"Buizel, use Water Gun!" Ash cried, and Buizel shot a stream of water at Lucario with high speed and power.

"Use Aura Sphere!" Maylene commanded, and Lucario not only stopped the attack with it, but the Aura Sphere also hit Buizel by going through the Water Gun.

"Now, use Bone Rush!" Maylene cried, and Lucario swung its staff at Buizel. It was able to dodge, but then Lucario did a low sweep at Buizel's feet, which knocked its feet out from under it. It got back up, however, ready to continue.

"Let's see what you think about this!" Ash cried. "Spin and use Aqua Jet!"

Buizel surrounded itself in a spiraling column of water, and then charged at Lucario.

"That's the same combination that Buizel used when he was training with me!" Dawn said.

"That would work in a Contest, to be sure," Maylene said, "but not here! Use Metal Claw!"

Lucario barred its claws to stop the attack, but it was knocked back by the spinning move, and it dealt quite a bit of damage.

"Are you all right, Lucario?" Maylene asked, and Lucario nodded.

"Buizel, Sonic Boom!" Ash cried, and Buizel shot its sonic waves at Lucario, but they were all deflected by its Bone Rush.

"All right," Maylene grinned, "now use Aura Sphere, rapid fire!"

Multiple Aura Spheres were fired at Buizel, but Buizel's Sonic Boom blocked them all. However, this attack proved to be a ruse for its real attack, as it leapt up and placed its palm on Buizel's chest. We all held our breath, since we knew what was to come.

"Force Palm!" Maylene shouted.

Lucario sent Buizel crashing to the ground, and it struggled to get back up.

"Let's finish this!" Maylene cried. "Use Aura Sphere, max power!"

Lucario readied its signature move, but then Buizel surprised everyone when it got up. For a split second, it looked like Buizel was readying its own Aura Sphere, but the sphere it generated was splashing with the power of water.

"Are we seeing things…"Maylene gasped, "or is that Water Pulse?"

"It is!' Ash gasped. "Buizel can use Water Pulse now!"

"Then let's end this now!" Maylene said. "Use Aura Sphere!"

"Buizel, use Water Pulse!" Ash cried.

Both Pokémon jumped high into the air and their spheres flew at each other. They hit both of the Pokémon, blew the roof of the Gym off, causing us in the stands to move out of the way, and a huge cloud of smoke exploded, almost completely obscuring the field from view. When the dust settled, both Pokémon still stood up. As I looked up, I noticed that the sky had now grown dark with heavy rainclouds, and the wind began to blow as a shower began to fall.

"Now that's what I call power!" I said.

"Now, Lucario," Maylene said, "use Bone Rush!"

Lucario tried to attack Buizel, but it was of no use. The Sea Weasel Pokémon kept dodging the attacks with new and surprising speed.

"That's Buizel's special ability, Swift Swim!" Brock exclaimed. "When it rains, Buizel's speed increases!"

"Buizel, spin and use Aqua Jet!" Ash cried.

"Lucario," Maylene cried, "Force Palm!"

Both attacks hit dead-on, and both Pokémon flew back, hit by the strikes. However, Buizel began to give off sparks, showing that it was now paralyzed.

"Oh man!" I cried. "This is it!"

"It's all or nothing with this next attack!" Ash cried. "Buizel, use Water Pulse!"

"Now, Lucario!" Maylene cried, as excited as ever. "Use Force Palm max power!"

"Keep going, Buizel!" Ash cried, clenching his fist. "Spin and use Aqua Jet combined with Water Pulse!"

Buizel combined its two attacks into one and charged at the oncoming Lucario with every last scrap of power it had left. The collision of the two attacks created a massive explosion, and a thick cloud of steam obscured the battler's Pokémon from view for a few seconds. After a while, the mist faded, and we all could see that both Buizel and Lucario stood tall and strong in the middle of the battlefield. For a long time, almost too long a time, nothing happened. But then both Lucario and Buizel grinned and nodded at each other, and both fell over backwards, unable to continue.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle!" Connally declared. "Therefore, this match is a DRAW!"

"Man, what do you know about that?" I asked, laughing.

"Buizel, you were great," Ash said, holding his partner, and Pikachu voiced his approval as well.

"Thank you so much, Lucario," Maylene said as she cradled her own fellow battling partner.

"Both sides gave it their all!" Dawn said happily.

"Now both Maylene and Ash can be proud," Brock nodded.

"And we all got to see an awesome battle," Jeremy said.

(-o-)

Moments later, as the clouds cleared and the sun was shown to be low in the sky, we all stood outside of the doors to the Gym with Maylene, Connally, and Maylene's Pokémon. Jeremy and I brought up the roof with Connally, but he said that it would be easy for them to fix with the help of their Pokémon. Jeremy and I decided that he was right, so we let it be and Jeremy brought up a more pressing question.

"So if the battle ended up in a tie," Jeremy said, "then what about the Badge?"

"That decision is up to the judgment of the Gym Leader," Connally answered.

"So if I give the word, then Ash gets the badge?" Maylene asked, unsure herself.

"Such is your job as Gym Leader," Connally nodded.

"Well then," Maylene said, "Ash, you've given me the greatest battle I've had in a long time."

She then turned to her Pokémon. "Is that good enough a reason for you all?"

They all nodded. "Then so be it." Connally presented a tray to Maylene, and she presented it to Ash. "Please accept this: the Cobble Badge."

"For real?" Ash gasped, and Maylene nodded. Ash took the badge, and smiled widely. "Thanks a lot, Maylene!"

"I'm the one who should be thanking you," she smiled. "Thanks to you and your friends, I'm ready to resume my job as Gym Leader!"

"Great news!" Dawn cheered.

"Remember to stay strong!" Brock added.

"Thanks for letting us watch this great battle!" Jeremy said, and Judah nodded.

"And maybe you can give me and my Pokémon a few pointers if we meet again!" James added. "My Cacturne just learned Drain Punch, but maybe your Meditite could give a few tips!"

Maylene smiled. "I just might have to take you up on that offer, you have a strong aura. Speaking of which, how about we have our battle at sundown? I think I can take three battles in one day. After all, a Gym Leader's work is never done, and I'm just getting started with mine!"

"You got yourself a deal!" James nodded, grinning.

"All right!" Ash said, and struck a pose with the Badge held high in the air. "I just got… the Cobble Badge!"

Ash's Pokémon cheered his victory, and so did we all. Connally shed a few tears about Maylene's return to her post, and there was excitement and joy all around. And soon, if all went well, James would also relish in that joy by defeating Maylene and earning his third Sinnoh Gym Badge as well.

(-o-)

**(-o-) Episode 4: What Battling is All About (-o-)**

**James' POV**

As soon as we left the Gym, I started training with Red and Golbat for their battle against Maylene. I was depending on Red's Flamethrower to stand against Maylene's Lucario, and I was getting Golbat to go as fast as possible in order to take care of Machoke and Meditite. Its Bite and Astonish would also help against Meditite, due to it being half-Psychic-Type, but I had no idea who to use for my third Pokémon. Pikachutwo insisted that it should be him, but I was not so sure that he would be strong enough. True, he needed experience, but there were other ways of getting it beyond battling Gym Leaders. To me, a battle against a Gym Leader was like a test, and Pikachutwo had not gotten the correct book he needed to study with.

Not sure of how to move forward, I consulted my new Pokédex for more info about Maylene's team. Machoke was weak to Flying and Psychic moves, Meditite was weak to Flying-Type and Ghost-Type moves, and Lucario was ironically weak to Fighting-Type moves due to its being a half Steel-Type. Also, since it was a Steel-Type, it was weak to Ground-Type and Fire-Type moves. I had Fire-Type and Flying-Type moves and Pokémon covered, but was unsure about who would fill in the Psychic-Type slot until I saw Mime Jr. practicing in the corner of the battlefield outside of the Pokémon Center.

He was using Light Screen and Reflect against Cacturne, and when Cacturne lunged a Drain Punch at him, Mime Jr. used Mimic to copy his move and dish it back. Golbat then rushed in out of nowhere, and Mime Jr.'s eyes glowed blue and Golbat instantly stopped and was hurled to the ground. I realized that Mime Jr. used Psychic to stop the Bat Pokémon, and was very impressed with his performance this far.

"I'm impressed with what you're doing so far, Mime Jr.," I said, "but why are you pushing yourself so hard right now?"

Mime Jr. said something, and Judah conveniently walked into the room, as if some invisible writer had told him to come here at this exact time.

"He says he wants you to use him in your Gym Battle," Judah said. "He knows that he did good against Gardenia, but he wants to have a win in a Gym Battle for himself."

"Really?" I asked my Pokémon, and he nodded. "Well, if that's what you absolutely want, I guess I've got my team ready! Are you guys ready to win our third Sinnoh Gym Badge?"

Red, Mime Jr., and Golbat eagerly nodded.

"Looks like you're making some great progress," Brock said as he entered the room, taking notice of our training session.

"I'm still not sure if it's enough to take on Maylene," I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

"It'll all work out okay as long as you remember the most important thing about Pokémon Battles," Brock said, turning to walk away.

"What thing is that?" I asked after him.

"Remember what battling with Pokémon is really all about," he replied, and left the room without another word.

"What Pokémon battling is all about," I repeated to myself, pondering what Brock just said. It seemed to me like he had a different voice when he said those words, as if he was another person, but I shrugged off that weird idea and went back to training.

(-o-)

We took a long break after the training session, and made it back to the Gym just as the sun was about to set. I stood before the doors of the Gym, my friends behind me, and squared my shoulders as I slowly stepped forward.

"I am here to challenge the Veilstone Gym!" I shouted, akin to Dawn's cry earlier today, and the doors opened. We made our way to the arena, and Maylene greeted us.

"Thanks for coming," she grinned.

"Thank you for accepting my challenge!" I smiled back.

"This is pretty weird," Dawn said, in her cheerleader outfit again.

"What is?" Aelita asked.

"That I'm going to be cheering for James and Maylene," she replied.

"I guess it I weird," Ash nodded, "but James is okay now! He's doing what all us Trainers do: battling another strong Trainer!"

"But aren't you worried about him?" Aelita asked. "You tied with Maylene, and you're the strongest of any of us. What chance does he have?"

"Now, don't jinx it, Aelita," Judah said. "For all we know, James has a strategy that's gonna blow us all away!"

"So!" Connally decreed, "the Gym Battle between Maylene the Gym Leader and James the challenger is about to begin! As stated before, each side will use three Pokémon, and the battle is over when all three Pokémon on one side are unable to battle! In addition, only the challenger may substitute Pokémon!"

"Meditite, come on out!" Maylene cried, and her Meditation Pokémon popped out in its meditation pose, ready for battle.

"Golbat, you're up!" I cried, and my Bat Pokémon flew about my area.

Connally then raised his arms. "And now… let the battle BEGIN!"

"Meditite, Confusion!" Maylene said, and made a movement as if she was grabbing something far away.

"Quick, Golbat, Astonish!" I cried, and Golbat made a piercing scream that stopped Meditite's attack and scared it a bit.

"Astonish caused Meditite to flinch!" Ash noticed.

"Now, use Air Cutter!" I cried, and Golbat fired a windy disc at Meditite, who took it head-on.

"Hang in there, Meditite!" Maylene cried. "Use Meditate!"

Meditite glowed white and hummed as it levitated in the air.

"We can't let it get charged up!" I stated. "Use Bite!"

Golbat dived down to gnaw on Meditite, but it quickly dodged out of the way while still in its meditation pose. It glowed white again, as a result of a second Meditate.

"This is getting tricky for James," Brock noted.

"One more time, Confusion!" Maylene cried, and made her earlier motion. This time, Golbat was plucked from the sky and hurled to the ground.

"Golbat, stay strong!" I cried, and Golbat got up in the air again. "Two can play at the confusion game! Use Confuse Ray!"

Golbat flew in a circle around Meditite, and screeched as hard as it could. Meditite could not dodge in time, and was now confused.

"What just happened?" Dawn asked.

"Golbat circled around Meditite to create a wall of sound!" Jeremy explained. "A brilliant strategy!"

"Snap out of it, Meditite!" Maylene cried, and thrust her fist outward. "Use Drain Punch!"

Meditite threw a punch, but it only struck air because it threw it in the other direction. It kept firing punches, and one of them eventually hit itself.

"Why did Meditite attack itself?" Aelita asked.

"Sometimes a confused Pokémon may attack itself in its confusion," Brock explained.

"Now, let's wrap things up with Wing Attack!" James cried, and Golbat whipped Meditite with both wings, causing it to fly into the wall and sink to the ground, knocked out.

"So!" Connally said, "Meditite is unable to battle!"

"What a way to start out!" Ash gasped, shocked at James' easy win.

"James must have studied hard last night," Jeremy reasoned.

"Meditite, return!" Maylene said, and gave a small smile. "You were very brave, now take a good rest." She then addressed me. "You've got impressive skills for a newly made Trainer."

"I may have gotten my license a week ago," I said, "but I'm no beginner Trainer! And don't think I'm pulling any punches just because you're a new Gym Leader!"

"I was hoping that you wouldn't!" Maylene snickered, and sent out her next Pokémon. "Machoke, you're up next!" Her Superpower Pokémon flexed its muscles as it appeared, and I knew what to do.

"Okay, Golbat, come back!" I said, and brought out my second Pokémon. "Mime Jr., come on out!"

When Maylene saw my Mime Pokémon, she was quite taken aback. "A Mime Jr.? Why would you send out a baby Pokémon like that?"

"Mime Jr. may be small," I grinned, "but he's certainly no baby! He helped me win my last badge, and he's gonna help me win this one! Use Reflect!"

Mime Jr. made hand gestures, and a blue screen appeared before it.

"Mime Jr. has put up a wall that will halve the damage from physical attacks!" Ash exclaimed.

"Machoke, use Brick Break!" Maylene said, and made a chop that was copied my Machoke.

"Not so fast!" I said, "use Confusion to keep him at bay!"

Mime Jr. pointed at Machoke, and he was pushed back a few feet by the psychic move.

"Now, use Light Screen!" I cried, and Mime Jr. put up a yellow box around it, which would halve the damage from special attacks.

"James has set up a dual screen!" Ash exclaimed.

"But it won't last!" Maylene cried, and chopped again. "Brick Break!"

"Block it with Mimic!" I cried, and Mime Jr. successfully parried the oncoming move with both of its tiny arms.

"Mime Jr. is amazing!" Dawn said, completely in awe.

"Good job, Mime Jr., return!" I cried, and recalled Mime Jr. for a substitute. "Golbat, I need you again!" Golbat popped back out, ready to play. "Use Wing Attack!" I cried.

"Push back with Dual Chop!" Maylene said, and crossed her arms before she chopped. Machoke chopped with Maylene, and Golbat was sent spiraling back.

"Golbat, are you all right?" I asked, and Golbat nodded, but it still looked weak from that attack.

"Golbat doesn't look too good," Ash noted.

"Cross Chop almost always deals critical damage," Brock noted.

"And it still hurt even with Reflect up!" Dawn added.

"Now, finish it with Dynamic Punch!" Maylene said, and both Trainer and Pokémon threw a powerful punch which knocked Golbat clean out of the sky and to the ground, unable to go on.

"Golbat is unable to battle!" Connally ruled.

"Oh man," Ash sighed. "Machoke's tough."

"Golbat, return!" I said, and recalled my fainted partner. "You fought hard and well, now take a good rest." I then took out Mime Jr.'s Poké Ball. "Mime Jr., ten-hut!"

"They're both one down," Ash said, his fists clenched in excitement. "This is anyone's game."

"Mime Jr., use Confusion!" I cried, and Mime Jr. levitated Machoke before he sent it crashing down.

"Get up, Machoke! We're not through yet!" Maylene cried. "Get around the screen with Seismic Toss!"

Machoke rushed forward, grabbed Mime Jr., jumped into the air, and threw it to the ground.

"Mime Jr.!" I gasped, afraid for what happened to it.

Mime Jr. slowly but surely got out of the small crater that was made from the impact, and glared at Machoke. It then wiped its nose and grinned, nodding. He looked to be panting heavily, but he was still standing.

"What just happened?" Jeremy asked.

"Seismic Toss is a move that inflicts damage equal to the user's level," Brock explained, "and Mime Jr. doesn't have the health to match that power if it happens again."

"Stay strong, Mime Jr.!" I cried. "Use Mimic to copy that last attack!"

Mime Jr. glowed white and used its psychic power to lift Machoke into the air and send it down, but it didn't look like it did much damage.

"It didn't look like it did much," Ash frowned.

"That's probably because either Mime Jr.'s level is lower than Machoke's, or Machoke has more stamina than Mime Jr., or possibly a combination of the two."

"Poor Mime Jr.," Dawn said.

I hissed at this, but noticed that the glow from Mimic had not faded yet. Before anyone knew what to make of it, the white glow completely enveloped his body, obscuring it from view.

"Is… is that…?" I stuttered.

"It looks like…" Maylene said.

"Mime Jr. is evolving!" Ash gasped.

True to Ash's words, Mime Jr. grew taller and stronger. Its stubby legs grew longer and so did its arms, and its hands grew fingers. Its head also became bigger, and its torso become more rounded. When the glow faded, a completely new Pokémon stood where Mime Jr. once stood.

"Mister Mime!" it cried, pounding its newly generated fists.

"Mime Jr.! You evolved into Mr. Mime!" I cried for joy, and looked it up on my Pokédex.

"_Mr. Mime, the Barrier Pokémon_," the screen read, "_and the evolved form of Mime Jr. By_ _rapidly moving its fingers, Mr. Mime can stop air molecules to create an invisible wall._"

"This is amazing!" Ash exclaimed, his own fists pounding.

"Of course!" Brock snapped his fingers. "Mime Jr. and Bonsly normally evolve after learning how to use Mimic! But my Sudowoodo didn't evolve until it learned one of its signature moves, Double-Edge! The same thing has happened here! James' Mime Jr. didn't evolve until it learned Light Screen and Reflect!"

"All right, Mr. Mime," I said, "use Confusion!"

Mr. Mime's eyes glowed blue, but when it lifted Machoke into the air, it looked more powerful than normal, even if Mr. Mime was fully healed.

"That's not Confusion!" Brock gasped. "That's Psychic!"

"Wow, you learned how to use Psychic!" I laughed. "That's so wonderful!"

"Machoke, hang in there!" Maylene said.

But it was too late, as Mr. Mime hurled Machoke to the ground, where it was rendered unable to get up.

"Machoke is unable to battle!" Connally ruled.

"Now Maylene has two down!" Aelita said.

"But her last Pokémon is tough," Judah said, reminding everyone about Lucario.

"Lucario, come on out!" Maylene cried, and her final Pokémon and her most trusted partner appeared on the scene. "It's all up to you!"

"All right, Mr. Mime!" I said. "Let's rock and roll with Psychic!"

"Quick, use Aura Sphere!" Maylene cried, and Lucario shot out its signature attack.

It was then that the unpredictable had happened. First off, Lucario managed to keep its grounding even with being bombarded with intense psychic waves. Secondly, the Aura Sphere had apparently managed to shatter both the Reflect and the Light Screen at the same time, which also shocked everyone in the stands. Thirdly, the Aura Sphere still went on to collide with Mr. Mime before either one of us could do anything to react.

"Pardon my French, and no offense, Jeremy," Judah said, "but what the heck just happened?"

Brock looked puzzled, but then came to a realization. "Of course! The Light Screen and Reflect were set up by Mime Jr., and not by Mr. Mime! Mime Jr.'s powers are weaker than when it's a Mr. Mime!"

"That does make sense," Jeremy nodded.

"Man, James is running out of luck," Aelita sighed.

"Come on, Mr. Mime!" I cried desperately. "You just can't give in now! You've come too far!"

"Lucario, Bone Rush!" Maylene ordered, and Lucario's energy staff swept Mr. Mime off of his feet, and back into the wall, where he slumped to the ground, knocked out.

"Mr. Mime is unable to battle!" Connally ruled.

"Now both sides are down to just one Pokémon!" Dawn said.

"This is gonna be tough," Ash said, frowning before standing up. "Hey, James! Maylene! It doesn't matter who wins or loses! Just have fun out there!"

Maylene and I were startled by Ash's sudden interjection, but we welcomed it.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," I grinned, and brought out my final Pokémon. "Okay, Red, I'm counting on you!"

Red, my Charmander, now appeared on the scene, ready for battle, and unfazed by Lucario's rather intimidating presence. Maylene and Lucario, however, were a bit startled by this choice.

"I don't need to read aura to know that this Pokémon is not very well experienced," Maylene said, and Lucario nodded. "Why would you choose a Pokémon like that?"

"I want to have a fresh start," I said, "and a new Pokémon is a good way to start. Besides, he did help me win my first two Badges."

"Then let's continue!" Maylene said. "Use Bone Rush one more time!"

Lucario's staff struck Red before he could react, but Red sprang back to his feet within seconds.

"Way to hang in there, Red!" I cheered. "Use Scary Face!"

Red growled menacingly and narrowed its eyes to make an angry face. While Lucario's face made no sign of the move working, I noticed that its muscles were slightly trembling. I also noticed that Maylene did not notice this, and that was when I made my move.

"Now, use Flamethrower!" I cried, and Red shot a stream of red-hot flames at Lucario, who didn't have time to dodge, due to Scary Face's effect.

"Lucario, are you all right?" Maylene asked, and her Pokémon nodded. "Okay, use Aura Sphere!"

Lucario charged up its attack, but I was ready.

"Use Scary Face again!" I cried, and Red once more leered at Lucario. Though it did not stop the attack, it did slow it down. The attack hit Red dead-on, but it was still ready and willing to go on.

"Use Metal Claw!" Maylene cried, and Lucario slashed at Red, but Red countered with a fast and equally powerful Flamethrower. Both Pokémon jumped back to either side of the ring, panting heavily. I noticed that Maylene was also panting, and to my utter astonishment, so was I. I also then clutched my chest, as if I got hit by that Metal Claw as well as Red.

_Why do I feel… exhausted?_ I thought to myself. _Not only that, why do I feel like I'm taking the same hits that Red takes?_

For a long time, no one said anything, or even moved. Then, in an instant, I realized the truth.

"Maylene!" I cried. "Are you tired?"

"A little bit, yeah, why do you ask?" she asked.

"Because I feel the same right now!" I said, rubbing the back of my head and showing it to her, now covered in my sweat. "Look at this! I'm sweating and panting, and I'm not really doing anything! This is living proof that everything that Paul told us is wrong! Pokémon are not tools for battle! They're our irreplaceable partners and lifelong friends! When Trainer and Pokémon battle, they battle as one!"

Maylene was taken aback, but then smiled. "And that's what I needed to re-learn." She took notice of Lucario's position, and noticed Red's as well. "Looks like we're on our last legs. Are you ready for this?"

"Maylene," I grinned, rubbing my nose, "I was born ready."

Both Pokémon grinned at each other before they shot forward.

"Flamethrower!"

"Aura Sphere!"

When both Pokémon unleashed their attacks, I felt myself mimic Red's motions as he attacked, and I noticed that Maylene's mimicking was even more intense than before. Both attacks hit each other, and the both fell at opposite sides of the ring, and neither one moved a muscle. The air was tense, as we all waited to see who would go down first. After what seemed like hours when it was only a few seconds, Lucario buckled to the ground and collapsed, unable to stand up.

"Lucario is unable to battle!" Connally declared, shocked. "The winner is Red the Charmander, and the victory goes to the challenger, James!"

For a long time, the words didn't even register, but when Red leaped into my arms, I finally started jumping for joy.

"We did it!" I cheered.

"Way to go, James!" Ash praised.

"What a battle!" Dawn clapped.

"That was nothing short of amazing from both of you," Jeremy said, him and Aelita clapping as well.

Maylene looked disappointed, but then smiled as she cradled Lucario in her arms. "Great Job, Lucario." It grunted weakly in response, and Maylene turned to me. "Thank you, James."

"What for?" I asked.

"Were it not for your words and Dawn's," she said, "I wouldn't be here right now. Thank you, all of you."

(-o-)

Moments later, as the sun had just set over the hills, we all stood outside of the Gym. Connally handed a tray to Maylene, and she showed it to me. The orange tatami-mat like symbol reflected in the early evening setting sunlight.

"On behalf of everyone here at the Veilstone City Gym," she said, "please accept the Cobble Badge."

I took the badge and gave a deep bow, smiling. "Thank you so much, Maylene." I then grinned and struck a pose similar to what Ash did earlier today. "Looks like I just got… the COBBLE BADGE!" My Pokémon and I cheered for our victory, and I heard everyone clap in celebration.

Everyone except for Ash, that is. "Hey, that's my pose!"

"I know," I grinned, "I just wanted to try it myself! I gotta say, I know why you like doing it: it's fun!"

With this adventure behind us, we headed off to the Pokémon Center to rest and recharge. But our adventure wasn't over yet. I knew that there was going to be much more in store for me and my new friends in our adventures in Sinnoh. But I could only wonder as to what they would be for now, as the not knowing what's coming is half of the adventure itself.

For me and my Pokémon, our adventure was just beginning.

* * *

**A/N: And here we are at the end! I hope you caught my little hint in the last stretch of the chapter with Brock and James.**

**I'll give you a hint: it has to do with the "Origin" of James' Charmander's name!**

**P.S. This story is now titled "Pokémon Platinum: The Prodigal Rocket" for reasons you will soon see. Stay tuned**

**-JeremyX signing off!**


	10. Blasting Off to Galactic Battles

**A/N: AT LAST! Sorry this took so long, but I had a killer day of quizzes to study for, and now I have a new killer test! IN CALC II!**

**Anyway, here's where the story really kicks up! Hope you enjoy!**

**Pokémon (C) 1995-2014 Pokémon, Nintendo, GAME FREAK, Creatures**

**Code Lyoko (C) 2002-2014 MoonScoop, France 3**

**Please support the official release!**

* * *

Chapter 10: Blasting off to Galactic Battles

(-o-) Prologue – Tour by Night (-o-)

**James' POV**

I still could not believe what had just happened. No less than an hour ago, I won my third Sinnoh region Gym Badge shortly after Ash had won his, but I actually defeated Maylene's Lucario, while Ash's battle ended in a draw. And yet, here I was, polishing my new badge which was pinned inside of my new badge case. It was almost like a dream, and I almost asked Pikachutwo to use Thunder on me to make sure that I wasn't dreaming.

In the end, I knew this was not a dream, and I could not feel more happy. I was free of my old life in Team Rocket and I was finally in control of my own life and my own destiny. And with great Pokémon friends like Red, Pikachutwo, Cacturne, Golbat, Mr. Mime, and Carnivine, along with great human friends like Jeremy, Aelita, Ash, and his friends, my destiny looked like it was going to be a great one.

Reggie called us when we got to the Pokémon Center, asking if we would like to go on a quick night tour of Veilstone City. After Ash and I dropped our battlers off with Nurse Joy, we accepted his offer. Within a few minutes, he met us at the Pokémon Center, and we all walked off into the night. Pikachutwo had seemed to pick up riding my shoulder from his genetic template, although its rough nature remained, though much less prone to violent outbursts than he had before he met up with Ash or me.

I had to admit, though, this was a nice treat, considering that none of us really stood still long enough to enjoy the beauty of any town we'd been to.

"Maylene gave me all of the details," Reggie said. "It must have been super intense if Ash's battle ended in a draw and if a newbie like James beat Lucario."

"They sure were," Ash said. "The Pokémon totally gave it their all in both battles!"

"Well, you can thank Dawn for that!" Aelita said, turning to the Coordinator. "It was your battle that brought back Maylene's fighting spirit!"

"Well, I'd do anything to see an awesome battle between Ash and Maylene," Dawn grinned sheepishly.

"Don't forget about me!" I said. "I also gave some good words of advice, and I actually beat her Lucario!"

"You don't need to rub it in, James," Jeremy said. "You both fought hard and you should both be proud, but not so proud that you let it go to your head."

"Oh come on," I waved. "I'm not like Ash!"

"Hey, I resent that!" Ash protested.

We all laughed at this, and Dawn piped up. "So, Reggie, where is this thing you wanted to show us?"

"Can't wait, huh?" he said, grinning. "Relax, you'll see soon enough."

After another while, we came to a flight of stairs leading up to a large hill. After we climbed to the top, we could see numerous large stones in holes littering the landscape. All of them were surrounded by rope fences and illuminated by a strange pale blue light from below.

"Since you're all leaving town bright and early tomorrow," Reggie said, "I thought it would do you good to see our city landmarks."

"What landmarks?" Ash asked, looking around. "You mean all these rocks?"

"Those aren't just rocks," Aelita said. "These rocks are meteorites, right Reggie?"

"Exactly right," he nodded.

"Wow!" Jeremy and Ash gasped in surprise. Judah and Pikachu both ran to one to get a closer look.

"They're huge!" Brock noted. "And there are no many!"

"These meteorites are part of what put Veilstone City on the map," Dawn explained as her Piplup ran off towards Pikachu and Judah. "I read about it in a book once when I was in school."

"Our city's been called 'The City Hewn from Rock', and these meteorites are part of it," Reggie added, and led the group to an information billboard which detailed the growth of Veilstone City over the course of many years. "Veilstone City was built around these meteorites since people and Pokémon would come and visit them since ancient times. Now the people of our fair city see them as our guardians, and we build this place to honor them."

"Wow," Jeremy said, "that's pretty cool."

"And just think about all of the people way back when who made this place what it is now," Brock added.

"It does sound amazing," Aelita nodded.

"I just love an awesome mystery!" Dawn said excitedly.

As I gazed at one of the meteorites along with Jeremy and our Pokémon, I felt a slight twinge of fear, and I shuddered. Jeremy noticed, and came up to me.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked. "Is it that cold out here?"

"I'm not cold," I replied, shaking my head. "I've just got this feeling, that's all."

"What is it about?" Aelita asked, seeing my reaction as well.

"It's about the meteorites," I said. "I think I may know someone who knows about them, and doesn't plan on respecting them."

"Like who?" Judah asked, joining us once he saw and heard our conversation.

"Well, who do we know that has been dabbling in ancient Sinnoh history recently?" I asked.

Jeremy, Aelita, and Judah both thought for a moment, and then came to the realization.

"Team Galactic!" we all said in unison.

"Should we tell Ash and the others yet?" Aelita asked.

"Well, I don't see them around here doing anything yet," I said, looking around.

"I did say it was just a feeling," I noted.

"Hey guys!" Ash called us. "We're all heading back to the Pokémon Center! You coming back or what?"

"Yeah, we're on our way," I called back, taking one last look and finding nothing. "Let's go back."

We all headed back, but Pikachutwo turned back and looked up, hearing something from high above us. I looked where he was looking, and saw a small black helicopter making its way to a building in Veilstone City. I wondered about this, but shook it off as I went to join the others.

(-o-)

(-o-) Episode 1 - An Inter-Galactic Adventure (-o-)

**Jeremy's POV**

Later that night, Reggie left our company and headed back to his home and tend to his and his client's Pokémon. We made it back to the Pokémon Center, and enjoyed a nice meal to cap off the day before we decided to clock out. Ash sat at one of the tables, polishing his new badge, and his old ones as well.

"Great job, Ash!" I said. "Three down, and five more to go!"

"And then it's off to the Sinnoh League!" Aelita cheered.

"And I'll be right behind you, kiddo," James grinned.

"But I didn't win this badge for defeating Maylene fair and square like James did," Ash noted.

"Oh, come on!" Brock waved. "Maylene gave you that badge because she recognized you and your Pokémon's strength and determination!"

"Then that means I've got to keep on training super hard and prove that what Maylene did was the right thing!" Ash said, and then turned to Pikachu. "So buddy, you with me all the way?" Needless to say, Pikachu voiced its approval.

"That's the Ash I came to see!" I said, smiling.

"How about you, Pikachutwo?" James asked. "Can I count on you to help me out?"

Pikachutwo nodded and sparked energetically.

"Let's see where the next Gym is," Brock said and then brought up a Sinnoh map on a big screen.

Nurse Joy then walked up with refreshments for everyone. "From here, Pastoria City looks like a good choice." She pointed to a city not far off from Veilstone City. "There's a resort on the shores of Lake Valor right on the way, so you can take a rest there. I've heard the Gym Leader there is an expert in Water-Type Pokémon as well."

"Water-Types, cool!" Ash grinned. "Next stop, Pastoria City!"

"You'll rock there, won't you?" James asked Pikachutwo, and it nodded fiercely, grinning.

Just then, Brock grabbed Nurse Joy's hands, much to her surprise and none of ours.

"Perhaps you'd like to come along with us," he said with a deep voice. "Then we'll find the thing we've been searching for: a love, our love! Burning with the fire deep within our hearts-ARGH!" Unsurprisingly, his Croagunk popped out of its Poké Ball and jabbed him in the backside with a quick Poison Jab. "Of course, fire burns in other places as well…" he moaned as he collapsed to the ground, with Croagunk dragging him off, chuckling all the way. We all groaned, exasperated at this.

"So, Dawn," Jeremy said, "what's up for your next Contest?"

Dawn looked a bit nervous, but put on a fake smile. "Ash, you'll never guess! We're right in the middle of working on a brand-new combination!"

Piplup furrowed his brow at Dawn, and Aelita, James, Judah, and I could tell that she was still upset about her past two failures, and it was still going to take quite a while to overcome them.

"She's really gotta do something about that confidence of hers," James sighed.

"Yeah, no kidding," Judah said. "Her aura is making me feel kind of weird."

I looked out the window and pointed, my eyes now wide. "Like that kind of weird?"

We looked out the window and noticed that there was a strangle glow from on top of the hill in the center of Veilstone City, where we saw those meteorites. We saw huge pillars of light from the hill, and then Judah's aura sensors started acting up.

"Judah?" I gasped. "What's wrong?"

"I sense a powerful aura coming from the hill," he replied. "I don't know what it is, but it feels like a force of pure power from the dawn of time and space."

After a while of the light pillars illuminating the whole city, they all went out completely.

"Wonder what that was all about," Dawn said, bewildered.

Just then, my video phone rang. I answered the call, and Louise Belpois – my mother – and Franz Hopper – Aelita's father whose true name was Waldo Schaeffer – appeared on the screen.

"Mom! Dr. Schaeffer!" I exclaimed. At the mention of her father's name, I felt Aelita look over my shoulder.

"How are you kids?" Waldo asked.

"We're just fine, Daddy," Aelita smiled. "We're in Veilstone City now! And we just saw two Gym Battles in a row!"

"Was it Ash and James?" my mom asked, and I nodded.

"They've both become really strong," I said, "but James is making tremendous leaps and bounds."

"Is he truly safe?" my mom asked.

"Yes he is, mother," I nodded. "He's saved our necks a few times already."

"Okay, just stay safe both of you!" she said, sighing.

Before I could respond, the call suddenly cut off, and static filled the screen.

"What just happened?" Aelita asked.

"I don't know," Jeremy shrugged. "The call just dropped, and it now says that there's no signal. No tunnel, no breaking up, just static."

Aelita looked up and gasped. "Like that?" she asked, and she pointed to the television screens in the Pokémon Center. All of them were displaying nothing but static. All of the people were quite agitated, and none more so than Nurse Joy, who frantically darted around the Center.

"Nurse Joy, what's happening?" Brock asked, running up to the counter.

"There's something interfering with our medical equipment!" she remarked, and showed some of the Pokémon that were suffering were not getting any better. "And it's affecting the recovery of the Pokémon!"

I looked over her shoulder, and saw a Chansey attending a suffering Shinx and Munchlax inside now non-functional recovery machines.

"Oh no!" Aelita cried.

"That's terrible!" Dawn gasped.

"Are our Pokémon ok?" James asked.

"I'm afraid their recovery is taking as slow as the others now that our equipment is offline!" she shook her head.

"Oh no," James gasped, his hand over his mouth. Even Pikachutwo looked very worried.

Just then, a voice rang out from behind us, crying out, "Nurse Joy!" We all turned around to see Maylene and her Lucario dash up to the counter.

"Lucario sensed something was wrong," she said, "so we came to see what was happening."

"Judah sensed the same thing!" I exclaimed.

"Even my old Pokégear isn't working!" James said, holding up a cell phone like device.

"You have a Pokégear?" Brock asked, surprised.

"I'll explain later!" James said. "Right now we've got bigger problems!"

"Then we're all in agreement!" Maylene said. "We've got to find out what's going on, and fast!"

We all nodded, and dashed out of the Pokémon Center, with Maylene leading the way. James, Aelita, Judah, and I managed to keep up with her and Lucario the best out of all of us.

"Lucario sense the disturbance is coming from the meteorites in the park," Maylene noted as we ran towards the park.

"Did you call Officer Jenny?" Brock asked.

"The phones are dead," Maylene answered, "so I sent Connally as a messenger."

Just then, Ash pointed up to the sky. "Check out those helicopters! I don't think they were there when we were there a few minutes ago!"

"I think I saw one of them before we left the park!" James noted.

"Then let's check it out!" I said, and we continued on our way.

As we ascended the staircase, we noticed a small explosion take place on top of the hill. When we got to the top, we saw a familiar group of individuals standing around the meteorites and loading them into a crane which was lifting them into a helicopter. There was also a Pokémon next to the group that looked like a pale green version of Croagunk. I knew this to be Saturn's Toxicroak, from what James said, and it was in fact the evolved form of Croagunk.

"It's Team Galactic!" James exclaimed. "They're stealing the meteorites!"

"Team Galactic?" Ash repeated, confused. "Who are they?"

"There's another Team?" Dawn asked, also confused.

"I mentioned them once," James told them. "Remember when I was still in Team Rocket and Jessie and I almost stole the Adamant Orb?"

"That's right!" Ash said. "Back in Eterna City, you said something about a 'fashionably dressed fan of Team Rocket' hiring you to steal it for him."

"I remember that too!" Brock nodded.

"And we met the blue-haired one again in the Solaceon Ruins," Aelita said. "That's what we were doing when you and Kenny were battling. We noticed him sneaking into the ruins, and he stole something from it, and he's also the one who caused the Unown to trap us inside of there."

"Then they're all no good!" Dawn growled.

"What about that Pokémon?" Ash asked.

"That's a Toxicroak that belongs to Saturn," I said, and pointed to the blue-haired man. Ash took out his Pokédex for more info.

"_Toxicroak, the Toxic Mouth Pokémon,_" the machine said, "_and the evolved form of Croagunk. The poison produced in its sac is carried through tubes in its arms to its knuckle claws._"

"What are you up to?" Ash barked. "Why are you stealing these meteorites and attacking this city?"

"We don't care about your cities or your landmarks," Saturn replied, "but these meteorites must assume their true form! They are absolutely necessary to our plan to build the new world!"

Ash, along with the rest of us, were confused by this. But before any of us could decipher what he meant, a police motorcycle revved up the stairs, and the Veilstone City Officer Jenny jumped into view, exciting Brock and angering Saturn.

"Thanks for the tip-off, Maylene," she said to the Gym Leader.

"My civic duty!" Maylene saluted, and Officer Jenny turned to the villains.

"You stole these meteorites, didn't you?" Jenny barked. "All of the technological interference is your doing!"

"Maybe," Saturn grinned slyly, "or maybe not."

"I'll bet they're responsible for the Pokémon Center breakdown!" Brock said.

"It's not just the Pokémon Center," Jenny stated, "but every piece of technological equipment across Veilstone City!"

"That explains how my call dropped so quickly!" Jeremy said.

"Do you really think that the Sinnoh Special Police aren't aware of all the behind-the-scenes activity that's been going on recently?" Jenny barked again. "Well, you're busted! You're a part of those super-secret criminals… Team Galactic!"

Saturn said and did nothing in response, but gave a small and sly grin. "Guilty as charged."

"Tell me right now what you plan to do with those meteorites!" Officer Jenny demanded.

"That would be a big waste of time," Saturn sighed. "But I will tell you that it's all a part of our plan. Toxicroak, Dark Pulse!"

Instantly, the Poison Mouth Pokémon shot a wave a dark rings from its hands, and it was aimed straight at us.

"Quick, Pikachu," Ash cried, "Thunderbolt!"

"Pikachutwo, Thunder!" James said.

"Piplup, Bubblebeam!" Dawn added.

"Lucario, Aura Sphere!" Maylene called out, and imitated the attack.

"Judah, Aura Sphere!" I cried.

The Pokémon each shot out their attacks, but instead of deflecting them, the dark waves blew apart, and one headed right at Brock with high speed and power. Before any of us could react, his Croagunk popped out of its Poké Ball, and shot the wave down with its Brick Break.

"Whew," I sighed. "Good going, Croagunk!"

"Thanks a lot, Croagunk," Brock sighed. "You saved me."

As Croagunk got up from its crouch, it walked up to Saturn's Toxicroak, glaring at it intensely.

"What's with the look?" Aelita asked.

"Most Pokémon tend to harbor bad blood towards their evolutionary states," Judah said, "and Croagunk looks to be one of them."

"Surrender now and return the meteorites," Officer Jenny barked, "unless you'd rather want to come kicking and screaming in handcuffs!"

I saw James winced a bit at this, but Saturn scowled.

"Clear the way, now!" Saturn barked, and his team released dozens of Golbat into the open, and they all launched Air Cutter at us, forcing us to duck and dodge.

"Toxicroak, what are you doing!?" Saturn growled upon seeing his Pokémon literally bumping heads with Brock's Croagunk. "Destroy that Croagunk!"

"Quick, Croagunk!" Brock cried out, "use Brick Break!"

Croagunk did so, but Toxicroak dodged easily, and punched Croagunk back.

"Poison Sting!" Brock ordered.

"Use Sludge Bomb!" Saturn barked.

Both attacks hit each other with equal power, and no one was able to get their attack through. Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of the Golbat charge up a Shadow Ball and aim it right at Ash and Pikachu.

"Ash! Pikachu!" I cried, and pointed. "Behind you!"

Before any of us could do anything, the Golbat was shot down by an electric attack. We turned to the sides, and noticed Reggie with Paul's Electabuzz standing off to the sides.

"Is everyone okay?" he asked.

"It's Reggie and Electabuzz!" Ash noted. "We're fine!"

"But Team Galactic is trying to steal the meteorites!" Aelita cried out to the Breeder.

"And there's too many Golbat for us to get close enough to stop them!" Judah said.

"We need to combine the powers of our Pokémon and stop these crooks!" Paul declared, and then turned to Electabuzz. "Before I send you back to Paul, how about you help us out here?" It nodded, and they prepared for battle.

"First we gotta take care of these Golbat!" Officer Jenny noted.

"Leave it to me!" I cried, and took out two Poké Balls. "Marvin, use Psybeam! Draco, use Dragon Breath!" Marvin, my Kadabra, and Draco, my Shelgon, jumped into action and unleashed their attacks.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash called out.

"Electabuzz, Thunder! Let's go!" Reggie ordered.

"You use Thunder as well, Pikachutwo!" James cried, and threw out Red's Poké Ball. "Red, come on out and use Flamethrower!"

"Piplup, use Bubblebeam!" Dawn added.

"Don't forget about me!" Aelita said, and took out two Poké Balls of her own. "Matilda, use Psybeam! Terra, use Razor Leaf!"

All of our Pokémon appeared and joined up to unleash their attacks on the swarm of Golbat. The combined move was super effective, and more than half of the swarm dropped to the ground, unable to go on.

"Lets' get to those choppers!" I said, and we all moved forward. However, Saturn had other plans.

"Allow Toxicroak to use Sludge Bomb!" he barked, and Toxicroak shrugged Croagunk off of its back, and shot its attack at us, forcing us to split up.

It was then that a really amazing thing happened. Electabuzz became surrounded by Golbat, but then Pikachu and Pikachutwo used their Thunderbolt and Thunder to stop them. Both Pikachu asked if Electabuzz was okay, but Electabuzz merely scowled. Two lone Golbat, not quite out, each launched a Shadow Ball right at both clone and original Pikachu, who just noticed them but had no time to react beyond shielding themselves. However, Electabuzz used its Thunder Punch to destroy the Shadow Ball, which saved Pikachu and Pikachutwo. They thanked Electabuzz, who gave a playful smirk in return. Back to back, they launched a powerful combination of Thunderbolt and Thunder, which was enough to knock out the remainder of the Golbat.

"Wow!" I exclaimed.

"That was amazing!" Ash said.

"Did you see the amazing combination the three of them just did?" Dawn gasped.

"I sure did!" Aelita said, excited.

Reggie looked a bit skeptical. "You know, I think Electabuzz was just paying off a debt."

"It sure didn't feel like that to me," Aelita muttered to me, smirking.

"Okay, Pikachu!" Ash said, fist pumping. "Volt Tackle!"

"Electabuzz, use Thunder to charge it up!" Reggie cried.

"Add your own Thunder to that, Pikachutwo!" James shouted.

Pikachu charged at the helicopter, and Pikachutwo struck Pikachu with a Thunder to charge it up further, but when it jumped up, Electabuzz caught him and used its electricity to power up Pikachu's attack and toss him at the helicopters, severing the cables binding two of the meteorites.

"Lucario, use Bone Rush!" Maylene said, and Lucario whipped up a bo staff to destroy the claws that gripped the meteorites.

"Piplup, Whirlpool!" Dawn cried, and the maelstrom caught the meteorites and lowered them safely to the ground. He then landed on top of one and struck a pose.

"There's no choice now," Saturn said. "Retreat, Toxicroak!" He recalled his Pokémon, and him and his men retreated to their helicopter, which joined the others as it took off.

"No ya don't!" Ash cried. "Thunderbolt!"

"Thunder!" James cried.

"Aura Sphere!" Maylene and I cried.

The Pokémon launched their attacks, but the helicopters were now flying too far out of range. We all groaned in disappointment as we saw them fly out of sight.

"Sorry, Officer Jenny," Ash apologized.

"We let Team Galactic get away," Dawn said.

"Well, we did manage to get some of the meteorites back," Officer Jenny said. "For that, I thank you all for your help."

I noticed Croagunk sitting by the sides, rather distraught. Brock comforted him. "You battled hard today, Croagunk. It's okay." Croagunk turned away, and I could tell that it was sad that it was not able to beat Saturn's Toxicroak.

"We haven't seen the last of those criminals, no doubt," Officer Jenny said, looking at the sky. "If only we knew more about Team Galactic's plans…"

(-o-)

**James' POV**

Before we all headed back to the Pokémon Center, we went with Officer Jenny to find the source of the electrical interference and get rid of it so that the Pokémon Center would become operational again. Jeremy had Judah use his aura to sense powerful electric pulses coming from a large building in the center of the city. But when we got there, it looked like a Zapdos had used a Thunder on it, and then a Moltres had added a Fire Blast.

"What happened here?" Ash asked.

"I've never seen this place before," Reggie noted.

We then took another look at the building, and noticed a large G, barely legible now, on front of it.

"This must have been one of Team Galactic's bases," Officer Jenny assumed. "They must have evacuated the second that we knew of their presence here."

"Then it may not have any clues as to where they're heading off to next," Jeremy said, frowning.

"Still, it may be worth a look," I said, and started to walk up to the door.

"Hold on!" Ash said. "I'm coming with you!"

"Hey, don't leave me out!" Jeremy said, and Aelita and Judah followed as well.

Officer Jenny was about to protest, but when the rest of the gang headed in that direction as well, she shrugged and followed us indoors. We did not find any documents inside, digital or physical, but we did find the machine that caused the interference. It was a large computer system which sent a radio signal to satellite dishes that were mounted on the roof, and they sent the signal that jammed all non-Team Galactic equipment within a 5 kilometer radius of the point of origin, which more than blanketed the entire city.

"It's still running!" Aelita noted.

"A likely way to stop us from tracking them," Officer Jenny assumed.

"But it's keeping the Pokémon Center and all of our phones from working!" I reminded them. "We have to destroy it!"

"No problem!" Ash said. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"You add a Thunder to that, Pikachutwo!" I added.

"And you use Thunder, Electabuzz!" Reggie ordered.

The Electric-Type Pokémon obliged, overloading the machine with 1,000,000 volts of energy, causing the machine to explode, sending metal and dust flying everywhere.

"Mr. Mime, use Reflect!" I cried, and called my Barrier Pokémon out, who threw up a force field to keep us safe.

"That was easy," Ash grinned.

"Almost too easy," I noted to myself. Just then, my Pokégear started ringing. I looked at the caller ID, and was shocked to see a sprite of Jessie.

"_James, is that you?_" a familiar voice asked.

I instantly stepped out and answered the call. "Jessie? How'd you get my new number?"

"_I met the lady from the Day-Care whom you got it from,_" she said. "_I can't believe you didn't tell us that it was that rude twerp's mother who was running the place and who helped you and your Pokémon!_"

"It didn't come to me?" I shrugged. "Anyway, have you been trying to call me for a while?"

"_Yes, but the lines went dead for some reason,_" she said.

"_What happened, Jimmy?_" I heard Meowth ask.

"Team Galactic happened," I said darkly and matter-of-factly.

"_What did those bowl-headed fashion freaks want this time?_" Jessie groaned.

"Well, they stole a bunch of meteorites from Veilstone City for some project," I said, "and they jammed all of Veilstone City's technology and left the thing on. We blew it up, though, so everything's back to normal. Other than that, I got no clue what's happening." I took a look at Officer Jenny and shuddered. "I can't talk now, Officer Jenny is here, and I need to help these guys. I'll call you later, okay?"

"_You got it, Jimmy,_" Meowth said. "_We got our own Pokégear now, and we'll stay in touch._"

With that, they hung up and I went back to the group.

"Well, my Pokégear works now," I said. "The Pokémon Center should be working now as well."

"That's good to hear," Reggie said, and then we all left the building. After Officer Jenny left for the Police station and Maylene and Lucario left to head back to the Veilstone Gym, I placed my hand on Reggie's shoulder before he left for home.

"I noticed a picture on your mantle that looked familiar," I said. "I saw that same photo in the Solaceon Town Day-Care Center."

"You've been there?" he asked, surprised.

"I worked there for a month about a week ago," I explained. "That's where I got my Pokégear, in case you were wondering. It was a breeder's mission to another city, and I had o stay in contact with the Day-Care Lady. Speaking of which, when I first met you, I thought you looked familiar. I soon realized that you're the boy from the photo the Day-Care Lady, Audrey, had in her office. Now I see who you are: Audrey is your mother, isn't she?"

Ash and the others were listening in, and they were all surprised at my revelation. Reggie sighed.

"You hit the nail on the head, James," he nodded. "You're absolutely right. My mother is half the reason I became a Breeder in the first place after I retired from long-time training."

"What was the other half?" Ash asked.

"Ash, don't butt into other's business!" Judah chastised.

"It's all right," Reggie said. "I lost a huge battle one day and knew that I still had a way to go."

"Well, I think you're a strong Trainer, Reggie," Ash said.

"So are you, Ash," Reggie said, and looked at Maylene who was heading off to the Gym with her Lucario. "Thanks again for helping Maylene. You've really got her spark back."

I smirked, knowing that Reggie had thanked Ash for helping Maylene for reasons of his own.

(-o-)

(-o-) Episode 2 – The Ex-Rocket's Red Glare (-o-)

**Aelita's POV**

Just then, a loud sound was heard overhead, and we looked up to see yet another helicopter above our heads, but this one had a bright red R on it instead of the G of Team Galactic.

"That's not Team Galactic!" Reggie said.

"No, it's worse!" I gasped.

"How?" Reggie asked, confused.

"It's Team Rocket!" Ash answered. "James used to work for them until he got fired thanks to me and my friends messing up his plans. But now they're after his Pokémon and they want to do who-knows-what to him!"

"But why are they here?" Brock asked.

"The answer to that is simple, little boy," a voice form above said, and a man jumped out of the helicopter, slowing his descent with a jetpack. As he landed, I noticed that Jeremy and Aelita gasped at this man's appearance. He was in an elite Team Rocket officer's uniform, and had a brushed-back mop of brown hair which had strands dangling over his jaded green eyes.

"We're here observing Team Galactic's actions," he said, "just like you all are doing right now."

"It's you!" Jeremy gasped. "Frank James!"

"Who is that?" Ash asked.

"He's the man who tried to kidnap me when Jeremy, Aelita, and I first met!" Judah exclaimed, getting into a battle stance and growling fiercely, his fists clenched.

"Oh come now," the Rocket officer grinned. "I was just after some data, but I can't resist a little bounty hunting. How about you make it easy and surrender James, his Pokémon, and that Riolu to me and then I won't have to beat you all into a pulp?"

"Like that's gonna happen!" Jeremy growled, getting in front of Judah and James.

"I won't let you hurt James or any of his or our Pokémon!" I said, getting into a battle-ready stance.

"Neither will I!" Reggie said, and Electabuzz growled as well. "You get out of my city right now or I'll make you get out!"

Frank James sighed. "I guess we gotta do this the hard way." He then pulled out three Poké Balls. "Weavile, Shiftry, Houdon, crush these half-pints and the traitor!"

The Sharp Claw Pokémon, Wicked Pokémon, and Dark Pokémon appeared before us and gave a growl.

"Chimchar, I choose you!" Ash cried, and called out Chimchar, who growled at the Team Rocket agent's Pokémon.

"Ambipom, come on out!" Dawn said, and her Long Tail Pokémon appeared, primed for battle.

"Croagunk, let's go!" Brock added, and called out his Toxic Mouth Pokémon partner.

"Don't leave us out!" Jeremy cried, and called out Marvin and Draco.

"That goes double for me!" I cried, and called out Terra, Mabel, and Matilda.

"Red, I choose you!" James cried, and called out his Charmander.

"What a bunch of weak losers," Frank James taunted. "You may have numbers, but I have power! Houndoom, use Heat Wave! Shiftry, use Razor Leaf! Weavile, use Blizzard!"

All of Frank James' Pokémon attacked us with fierce attacks, but we stood strong.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash cried.

"Pikachutwo, use Thunder!" James added. "And Red, use Flamethrower!"

"Croagunk, use Poison Sting!" Brock shouted.

"Piplup, use Bubblebeam!" Dawn called out.

"Judah, Aura Sphere!" Jeremy commanded. "Draco, use Flamethrower! Marvin, use Psybeam!"

"Terra, Razor Leaf!" I ordered. "Mabel, Twister! Matilda, Shock Wave!"

All of our Pokémon attacked at once, but only a few got thorough while most either were dodged or missed.

"Houndoom, use Fire Spin to trap that traitor!" Frank ordered, and his Dark Pokémon trapped James in a spiraling vortex of fire before any of us could react.

"Oh no!" I cried, and then was even more shocked when Frank James used a mechanical arm to snatch Judah and Ash's Pikachu, as well as Pikachutwo, right from under our noses and trap all three of them in a translucent cage of energy.

"Pikachu/Judah!" Ash and Jeremy cried, and rushed to save their partner and Pikachutwo. However, Weavile and Shiftry blocked their path.

"I'm through playing games with you brats," Frank James growled. "It's time I show you how dirty Team Rocket really plays."

Suddenly, dozens of Team Rocket grunts dove from the helicopter and landed on the roof. A few stayed up there, but at least a dozen dove down to our level and threw energy lassos, trapping us and all of our Pokémon before we could react. To make matters worse, once they tied us up, the steel cables let out a strong electric current that electrocuted us painfully and caused us to fall to the ground, paralyzed.

"What… the heck… just happened?" Ash asked weakly.

"Since when… is Team Rocket like… this?" Dawn asked, struggling to speak.

"I told you, we're through playing games," Frank James said. "I'll be taking your Pokémon for our collection and this traitor to our leader for his punishment."

Frank James moved towards James, and James' eyes became filled with fear. Tears began to fall from them as he looked on at our situation, horrified. Jeremy and I felt helpless, trapped and shocked, unable to help this poor man evade impending doom or help save Judah or our other Pokémon. However, one Pokémon's eyes were now filled with hatred at the situation, and this feeling was strong enough to roar quite ferociously for his small stature allow him to create a ring of fire to snuff out the fiery cage that James was in.

"Look at Red!" Ash gasped, seeing James' small Charmander ready to do battle with Frank James' Pokémon.

"He put out the fire by using his own fire to create a backfire!" Brock explained.

"Little punk!" the Team Rocket officer growled, but soon found himself on the receiving end of a Flamethrower, courtesy of Red. Suddenly, Red roared and became enveloped in a white glow that took us all by surprise.

"Is it really happening!?" James gasped.

"It is!" I cried. "Red is evolving!"

Red's tail grew longer, his head grew larger and grew out a spike in the back, and its arms grew longer and thicker. As the glow faded, a bold red Pokémon appeared which roared its name triumphantly.

"CHARMELEON!"

"Red has evolved into a Charmeleon!" I gasped in awe.

Red then turned around and unleashed a Metal Claw to all of our bindings, breaking them and freeing us.

"Thanks for that, Red," Jeremy said as we all got up.

Red nodded and looked back at the cage and saw a strange device on the top. Nodding, he aimed a Flamethrower at it, and the device broke, which caused the energy in the cage to dissipate, freeing the three captive Pokémon who all ran back to their Trainers.

"Jeremy!" Judah cried as he ran to my boyfriend. Jeremy quickly took him up in his arms and hugged him tightly. Ash did the same with Pikachu, and James followed suit with Pikachutwo.

"I'd say it's time I stopped playing around as well!" James said. "Red, use Flamethrower! Pikachutwo, use THUNDER!"

"Pikachu, follow it up with Thunderbolt!" Ash added.

"Judah, Aura Sphere!" Jeremy cried. "Marvin, Psychic! Draco, Dragon Breath!"

"Matilda, Psychic!" I cried. "Terra, Leaf Storm! Mabel, Twister!"

All of our Pokémon unleashed their attacks at Frank James' team, as well as their Trainer, and they caused devastating damage, rendering the Pokémon unconscious and the Team Rocket grunts and their leader severely injured. The grunts took off running, but Frank James was not out just yet. Suddenly, police sires could be heard in the distance, and we turned to see Officer Jenny and a few other cars come up to the building. Then some cars blocked the path of the running Rocket grunts, and they were all roped up.

"Make sure they don't get away!" Jenny barked as she dismounted her motorcycle. She then noticed us all, and was now very surprised. "What's going on here?"

"Team Rocket showed up to take some of Team Galactic's data," Jeremy explained. "We found and disabled the source of the electrical interference, but they showed up to steal our Pokémon and the data that Team Galactic left behind."

"All right, one evil team is enough for one night!" Officer Jenny said, glaring at Frank James. "You're under arrest for Pokémon poaching, and assault and battery! Surrender now or we will use force!"

"Nice try, Officer," he grinned evilly, pointing to the roof, "but my work is done here."

We all looked to the roof, and saw the rest of the grunts rope up to the helicopter with a case, presumably of the data they had just extracted from the now-defunct Team Galactic base.

"Darn it," James hissed. "We let them get what they wanted."

"We couldn't have done anything about it all tied up," I noted.

"We'll leave you to clean up the mess!" Frank James taunted, activating his jetpack after recalling his Pokémon. We tried to attack him, but his pack was too fast and the helicopter put out a protective force field to stop any of our attacks. Before long, the helicopter flew away.

"Sorry we let the bad guys get away again," Ash apologized.

"It's all right," she waved. "The grid's back online, and we have you to thank for it."

"Don't forget about James and Red!" Reggie said, and pointed to the ex-Team Rocket agent.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for him," Judah added, "I'd be off to Team Rocket HQ and the grid would still be down!"

"And Red evolved into Charmeleon just in time to save the day!" Dawn added, looking it up in her Pokédex.

"_Charmeleon, the Flame Pokémon,_" the machine spoke, "_and the evolved form of Charmander. Charmeleon mercilessly destroys its foes using its sharp claws. If it encounters a strong foe, it turns aggressive. In this excited state, the flame at the tip of its tail flares with a bluish white color._"

"Well, I guess I should thank you, James," Officer Jenny said, saluting the man.

"Please, I just did what I had to do," James waved, blushing, but then looked back up at the night sky, his face now cold. "Besides, I have a personal score to settle with them…"

Ash and the rest of us nodded, and we all looked into the sky, wondering what Team Rocket and Team Galactic were planning and what those plans would spell for us and the entire world.

(-o-)

**James' POV**

The Pokémon Center was fully operational before we all got back, so we left all of our Pokémon with Nurse Joy for the night. The next morning, we were clean, fed, and ready to hit the road. Before we left the Pokémon Center, Reggie, Maylene, and Lucario showed up to see us off.

"Reggie told me about what happened last night," the Gym Leader said. "I hope you're all okay."

"We're just fine," I said.

"All the best for a safe trip!" Maylene said. "Lucario and I'll be watching your next Contest, Dawn!"

"Thanks," Dawn smiled. "You two take care as well!"

"Paul said that he was heading off to Pastoria City as well," Reggie said to Ash and I, "so make sure you two get your fourth badge there like he will!"

"I'll do better than that!" Ash said. "I'll get mine before he does!"

"That goes double for me!" I said, pumping my fist.

"Ash sure is confident," Jeremy noted, "and you're getting a bit of that too, James."

"That's just the kind of guy Ash is," I said. "I guess he's starting to rub off on me." I then turned back to the Veilstone City crew, and grinned. "Take good care of yourselves, you two!" I said, chuckling.

Everyone was confused by this, except for Jeremy and Aelita, who both grinned in response.

"You think we'll meet up with Team Galactic again?" she asked.

"Someday we will," I said, as I stared into the dawning sky. "But for now, our journey continues and adventure awaits!"

Jeremy nodded, and we headed off to Pastoria City, the site of Ash's and my fourth Sinnoh Gym Battle, and the adventures that would come both before and after then. With Team Galactic coming out from the shadows, our adventure was about to become more than we could have ever imagined. But with our Pokémon and human friends together, I knew that we would be ready for anything.

Slowing down from our group and looking back at Reggie and Maylene, I reached into my pocket and pulled out another thing that Audrey had given me on that fateful day: a Trainer's pocket Bible which contained Psalms, Proverbs, and the entire New Testament. Flipping to a random page, I came across a familiar verse that my grandmother told to me a long time ago:

"The LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the ways of the wicked will perish." – Psalm 1:6

"Well, I sure know what's going to happen to Paul now," I said to myself as I quickened my pace to keep up with the others, ready for a new adventure.

* * *

**A/N: Okay! Team Galactic has shown up, Team Rocket is now a real threat, James has a Charmeleon and a pocket Bible, and Paul had better watch out the next time he meets Ash and the others after that event in Chapter 6! Please be patient with the next update, and I will get working on it as soon as possible!**

**Also, please check out EchindaPower's AAML: Diamond and Pearl Version! Without that, this chapter would probably have not gotten done as quick as it had been!**

**-JeremyX signing off!**


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